


Prompto is what?

by Shiary



Series: The Cure AU [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Ardyn is creepy, Childhood, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Prompto gets involved in things way over his head, Puppy Piles, Uncle Cor, and cuddles, cure au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-09-27 15:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 60,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10027061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shiary/pseuds/Shiary
Summary: Before the stunned eyes of Cor Leonis, the proclaimed Immortal of Insomnia, the daemon so eager to kill both of them was now writhing in pain and backing away in sheer terror from the injured blond boy. The claws that had been stained with the child’s blood was disintegrating before his very eyes. Cor Leonis found himself alone, half-dead with a child whose blood had somehow destroyed a daemon’s hand.





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> This is set about 2 months after the events of Brotherhood episode 2. (being edited)

Prompto was staring at the waves in wonder, the soft fading sunlight shone brightly against the deep blue sea at Galdin Quai as the young boy took pictures of the scenery. His father, Lance Argentum whose job as a professional speaker meant he was rarely home, had been invited to a conference in the tourist town and the hosts had decided to invite the families of their guest speakers to enjoy a fully paid vacation for the duration of the International Standard and Proficiency Conference.

His mom, Sylva Argentum a nurse working 2 part time jobs to ensure they make ends meet, had been hesitant to go but between the puppy eyes Prompto had turned on her every time she returned home, (even if her sunshine was supposed to be asleep at 3 in the morning), and the many pamphlets describing the beauty and relaxation found at Galdin Quai her husband was leaving on the family table, she had finally given in and taken some long awaited vacation days.

Now they were all at Galdin Quai, determined to enjoy their first real family vacation together, even if one of them was supposed to be there for work. Prompto didn’t care, he hadn’t stopped smiling since his arrival and had taking so many pictures that he had to beg his parents to buy more films after a single day there! Laughing, his mom agreed after getting him to promise to take a few pictures of himself. They had noticed his recent change in diet and were hoping that seeing himself in pictures would help stabilize his new found confidence and drive to become thinner. Of course, his mom had been keeping an eye on him to insure he wasn’t doing too much too quickly either.

After the first month of Prompto’s new routine, she had called in a favor with a co-worker to start her shift an hour later, she then went to pick her son up from school and have a serious talk about what he was doing and to find out why. It had taken her a bit of probing before Prompto had told her about his attempts to care for a lost dog which turned out to belong to the Oracle; how he had received a letter from said oracle and tried to approach the Prince as a result. Prompto even told her about what his failed meeting with Prince Noctis and his fears of being unworthy of being friends with said royal.

It had surprised her and made her feel ashamed that her chronic absence had meant she had missed such an important event in Prompto’s life. This vacation was a first step towards being more present for her son and hopefully by the time they returned to Insomnia, she would have an answer to her request of being promoted to full time on day and evening shifts at either of her jobs. Her husband had also been told about Prompto’s experience and his desire to improve himself. She had made it clear to Lance that changes would have to be made from both of them in order to be there more often for their son from here on out.

The next few days passed by like a dream for the family, the few hours every day when Prompto’s dad had to work were spent with his mom taking picture and just talking honestly with each other for the first time in Prompto’s memories. When the last night of their vacation came, Prompto was unable to fall asleep as he wondered when another chance like this would happen, this was the most time he had spent with his parents since before he started elementary school and he felt like it was such a wonderful but fleeting dream.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep, Prompto quietly got up and got dressed in his jogging clothes. He left the comforts of his shared room, silently passing by his sleeping parents and made his way onto the beach; the sand made every step that much harder but the small boy was determined not to slow down as he jogged through the deepening night. Lost in thoughts and in the steady rhythm of his own steps, he barely noticed the time passing nor the increasing distance between himself and the steady lights of the Quay until a sudden shout pierced the night. Startled out of his thoughts, his heart racing and mind frantic, Prompto searched the darkness for the source for several tense moments, turning around on himself until he found it.

Standing a few hundred meters away from Prompto, a dark figure was fighting for his life against several hulking daemons circling and attacking relentlessly. Prompto stood staring in shock as steel flashed in the moonlight, creating arcs of blue metallic light between the daemons and its wielder. Without realizing it, Prompto took several stumbling steps backwards as he witness his first battle and the first daemons of his conscious memories. In front of him, the dark figure seemed to be struggling more and more; limping from an injury on his left leg and constantly trying to keep the Daemons circling around him out of his blind spots. Prompto watched, transfixed, as the figure kept fighting even as the fighter took more injuries before Prompto’s eye. The terrified boy was standing still and silent, unable to move one way or another until he noticed a daemon sneaking behind the fighter without being noticed by them. Prompto’s mind went blank and before he knew it, the blond haired boy shouted a warning towards the figure, ‘’Behind you!’’

The figure twisted, lightning quick, cutting down the daemon at his back before stumbling to face the remaining threats with obvious fatigue and increasing trouble. Everything stood still in Prompto’s eyes as half of the daemons out there took notice of the new unarmed prey and bounded towards him. Prompto scrambled backwards as he saw the living nightmares that were daemons approach him with great looping steps. He twisted and ran as hard as he could, thoughts filled with nothing but pure terror at the situation. He had to get back to the light! To the safety of Galdin Quai! Before the daemons caught up to him! His mind reeling in fear, he realized that it would be impossible for him to make it, he had come out too far away from the resort and his pursuers were much faster than him.

Prompto knew he was going to die in that moment even before he felt his feet snag on something and send him sprawling in the sandy beach. Prompto turned to stare behind him in pure terror; one of the daemons was less than 5m from him! It took two gigantic steps before raising a clawed hand above its head and bringing it down towards the defenseless prey on the ground. Prompto screamed and raised his own hands above his head in futile attempts to stop his own death. The next few seconds seems to pass by slowly as a blue light appeared between Prompto and his attacker. The dark figure that had been fighting the daemon now stood between him and the daemon, its claws struck the already injured man, slashing across his chest and digging deep into his flesh.

Cor Leonis swore to himself at his carelessness, he was stuck 4 hours away from the nearest haven or safe town just as night fell across Lucis and that meant the Marshall would be spending his night either fighting until he reached safety or until dawn, which ever came first. As the first stars came out, the soldier sent a small prayer to Carbuncle asking him to watch over him until he could be safe. At first, Cor held hope that the small astral had indeed heard his plea as he was able to move unhindered through the night. Hours then two passed without trouble, the few daemons that appeared around him were easy to deal with or avoid and Cor was left with only small nicks from the few encounters. The last two hours proved him wrong with a vengeance as all of the sudden Cor found himself surrounded by a flans, Iron giants, Arachne and even liches all attacking him at once.

He fought tooth and nails for every meter closer to the light of Galdin Quai in the distance, feeling the tiredness of the last 24 hours gaining on him despite the adrenaline coursing through his blood from the near constant fighting. He was less than 15 minutes away from the Resort when a hobgoblin nailed his left knee with its dagger, poisoning him and stealing his last potion before disappearing as Cor tried to fight the gargoyles around him. He wasn’t even aware of his spectator until the Marshall was given a much needed warning and he was able to cut down the Arachne trying to sneak behind him. Cor growled as he noticed several daemons losing interest in him and going after the child, his thoughts condensing to a single thing _Protect the child_ and he used Lion’S Roar to force the daemons away long enough for him to do something he hated. He warped to be between the Gargoyle and the blond haired boy knowing that the warp left him open and vulnerable.

Despite his best attempts at protecting the child still on the ground, one of the daemon’s claws still made its way lightly across the blond boy’s upturned arm, drawing a scarlet line dripping blood. Within seconds, a pained filled screech echoed through the night air and before the stunned eyes of Cor Leonis, the proclaimed Immortal of Insomnia, the daemon so eager to kill both of them now was writhing in pain and backing away in what appeared to be sheer terror from the injured child and his half-dead protector. The claws that had been stained with the child’s blood were disintegrating before his very eyes something he had never seen before. As the Crownsguard focused his mind to ignore the pain and blood lost in order to finish off the injured enemy, all of the other daemons were slowly backing away and running off into the night. Cor Leonis found himself alone, bleeding out with a child whose blood had somehow destroyed a daemon’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited on 12th may 2017


	2. First aid and a name

Prompto stared in absolutely shock, he had no idea what had just happened. He had been so sure that he would die as the daemon had swung down its clawed hand and yet he was still alive by some miracle! Or rather by the strange ability of the dark figured man that had saved him. 

He was still filled with panic, fear and confusion but that sensation swiftly changed to a different kind of panic when his savior dropped down to one knee, panting hard and wincing with pain. Prompto was the son of one of the best nurses in Insomnia and as such had learnt very young how to give first aid when needed. The lessons he had gotten from his mother flooded back and pushed away the panic of being attacked by daemons in favor of the familiar anxiety of dealing with injuries.

‘’Um, sir can you hear me?’’ Prompto asked shyly as he approached the man, his own injury forgotten in favor of those on his savior. Cor grunted in reply, jaw tight as he tried to stay conscious despite the blood lost and exhaustion. ‘’I’m… I’m Prompto, I know some first aid and my mom is a nurse. Can I try to help you?’’ There was no reply for several moments before Cor finally nodded, ‘’Do it quickly,’’ he swallowed painfully, ‘’You need to get back to safety. If…If daemons show up again, forget about me and just run. I’ll hold them off.’’ Prompto hesitated before he stripped off his t-shirt, feeling a dark blush crowd his face at being half naked in front of a stranger but shook it off by concentrating on the blooding injuries in front of him. He tried to keep his mind on the lessons he could remember as he pressed the cotton material on what appeared to be the worst of the injuries.

RED, an acronym his mother had ensured Prompto knew by heart. R stood for Rest, in other word, keeping the injured still and preventing them from panicking and increasing their own injuries. The blond boy didn’t think that would be a problem with the injured man. The warrior seemed to be calm though it might be what his mom called shock and the young boy didn’t know how to make the difference. 

Prompto shifted a hand off his now red shirt and padded his pockets, looking for the small pocket knife his father had given to him about a year ago. E stood for elevated, Prompto reminded himself considering the location of most of the injuries on the man kneeling on the ground; it would be hard to do. Prompto moved on to the last letter, D stood for direct pressure on the injury or rather between the heart and the location of the injury. Now that was something he was already doing as he pressed a little more on the worst of the bleeding.

With the small pocket knife, Prompto proceeded to cut the sleeves of his t-shirt into thin bands while doing his best not to remove the pressure he was putting on the bleeding. With the makeshift bandages, Prompto did his best to tie the rest of his t-shirt in place while once more keeping a steady pressure on the worst of the injuries. Cor admitted to himself he was impressed at Prompto’s steady hands and his concentration on the work he was doing. 

As soon as he saw that the boy knew what he was doing, Cor concentrated on keeping an eye out for any daemons approaching. The coast was clear as far as he could see, the daemons that had been close to swarming him a few minutes ago nowhere to be found. Cor keep his grip on his katana, not wanting to take any risk when the life of such a young boy was on his shoulders.

Prompto finished verifying the bandages before addressing his patient once more, ‘’I’m sorry, that all I can do right now but…we need to get you to a hospital quickly!’’ Cor pushed himself back up on unsteady legs, biting back a groan of pain and trying to ignore the dizziness that followed his movements. Prompto was quick to notice the way the man seemed unsteady but he had no way of helping with the man being that much taller and heavier then him.

Cor noticed the worried look looming on Prompto’s face and reached out a trembling hand to rub his head, unaware of the blood he was leaving on the blond hair. ‘’You did a good job Prompto, just stay beside me and I’ll protect you.’’ With those words, he forced himself to move, putting one foot in front of the other by sheer will more than anything else.

The Immortal man took care of always keeping the boy within arm’s reach as they slowly made their way back to the light filled city. As soon as the duo stepped into the safety of the city streets, Cor found he was unable to prevent the creeping blackness from extracting its toll on his exhausted body and mind. His last thought before passing out was to remember the strange way the daemons had reacted around the blond child and wondering what it could mean.

Prompto tried his best to slow down the nameless man’s fall, keeping him from hitting his head and making his injuries worst but he knew he needed proper help. ‘’HELP! Someone Help!’’ Prompto shouted, the previous panic coming back twice as strong and overwhelming him now that they were safely away from the ever looming darkness.

It didn’t take long for both to find themselves in the only hospital of Galdin Quay. Sylva and Lance had both rushed to the hospital when they had heard that Prompto had been admitted for injuries. The initial sight of their son in a hospital gown with blood covered hair and getting some stitches on his upper right arm had only served to increase their own worry and panic. 

Prompto was still too shocked to be able to say anything more than the fact that he had been attacked by daemons and that the other man with him had saved his life. Sylva insisted that blood test were drawn to verify whether her son had been infected by the scourge even if there was no outward sign of it for the moment. Lance had, for his part, sat down beside his trembling son with a small whispered, ‘’Do you want me to hold you?’’ Prompto’s reply was too bury himself in his father’s arm and start crying until he fell asleep, exhausted by the night’s events.

His parents shared worried glances while watching over their sleeping treasure. Sylva asked about the other man, the one Prompto mentioned and received a simple answer, ‘’He is still in surgery, we don’t know how long until its done.’’ With those words, the nurse finished cleaning the emergency room they were in and left the family to their own device with a promise to return when results from the blood test came back. 

It took a long slow hour for the parents before the results came back, a length of time that was bad news from the nursing experience of Sylva for simple scourge test. Her growing worry about the health of her son jumped exponentially when she saw a doctor enter the room holding several sheets of paper. Prompto was still sleeping, his face slightly pinched in pain in his father’s arms, unaware of anything beyond his own disturbed dreams.

The doctor approached and introduced himself, ‘’Hello Mrs and Mr Argentum, I am Doctor Felix Ranbor. I apologize for the wait but the results from your son’s blood test needed further investigation before we could talk with you.‘’ Sylva quickly cut in, ‘’Dr. I am a senior nurse at Insomnia’s university hospital. Please tell us what is going on and allow me to see my son’s blood test immediately.’’ 

The doctor looked slightly shocked before he nodded his head and handed the papers over to Sylva, ‘’Then this should be quick. Your son should not be human.’’ Lance’s head jumped out in shock as he stared at the doctor. ‘’The level of plague in his blood is close to five time that found in late stage plague patients and yet as we can all see, there are no symptoms of its presence. In short, this thing should be a daemon despite its human form.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	3. Reunion

The room was silent after the doctor stopped talking while Sylva concentrated on reading the lab results, triple checked by 3 separate machine with calibration checks done in between each check, showing 9 identical results. Her son’s blood were normal except in 2 key areas: the scourge was present at a rate 5 and a half time higher than any medical case report the nurse had ever read and he had an equal amount of an unidentified sub-type of Eosinophils, the white cells that deal with parasitic infestations.

She looked out the corner of her eyes, seeing her husband bring their sleeping son closer to himself, their eyes meeting briefly before Lance’s dipped down to watch their child’s sleeping face . Raising her gaze to meet the doctor’s, Sylva declared, ‘’I will be bringing my son back to Insomnia, the levels in his blood indicate a lengthy infection which my son has never shown any signs of and which simply proves that he is harmless.’’ 

Doctor Ranbor waits patiently for Sylva to finish, ‘’Unfortunately that is not your choice. I understand your concern about your… child but a plague infected patient cannot be released from our care if their blood level is about a certain thresh hold. You told me you were a nurse in Insomnia, surely you must know the directives concerning such cases yourself.’’ He got up, ‘’The hunters have been warned and so has the Crownguards in Insomnia. You and your husband are free to leave if you so desire but your son will remain here under direct observation until a more…permanent decision is made concerning his case.’’

Lance tightened his grip on his son, making Prompto grunt in pain as his father accidentally pressed on his injured arm. ‘’We are not leaving him alone and we are not staying here.’’ He knew what his wife was going to say and do if he didn’t step in. ‘’What about the other man? The one who saved Prompto, how is he?’’ Lance asked to deflect the attention from Sylva, who had gotten up, her hands crushing the papers in her grip. Her anger was interrupted by her husband saying what she had in mind, though in a more polite way of saying it. She walked briskly over to her family and sat down on the other side of her boy, leaning over to wrap her arms around her family.

The doctor sighed, he was a father himself but he was duty bound to his oath to protect and help those in need even if it means protecting others from his patients. ‘’He is out of surgery and will live though it will be a while before he wakes up. His blood came back clean from the scourge.’’ He hesitate a bit before heading towards the door. On the other side, Lance and Sylva could see 2 hunters standing on either side of the door; it was obvious why they were there.

Cor Leonis woke up sore, tired and with a scattered mind; a feeling he knew all too well after a long fight. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, knowing from experience that doing so would only give him a headache. His memories were a bit fuzzy and confused, he clearly remembered being surrounded by daemons and then…. The memory of a slightly overweight boy, pale skinned with blond hair and clear blue eyes caused him to open his eyes then close them shut from the pain with a low groan.

His movement were noticed by someone as a soft spoken voice called out to him, ‘’Sir? Can you hear me?’’ A gloved hand slipped into his, ‘’Don’t try to speak or move, just squeeze my hand if you can hear me?’’ Cor’s sluggish mind took a few seconds to process what was said before he was able to respond by squeezing the nurse’s hand. ‘’ Very good, my name is Elis and I am your nurse. You have been unconscious for 2 days now. You needed surgery when you arrived, it went well and you are expected to make a full recovery.’’ 

The voice continued in the same soft way, ‘’You are receiving several medications to prevent infections and to help with your pain. The last ones are known to make a person groggy. I have a few more questions to ask you, I need you to try to squeeze my hand once for yes and twice for no. Do you understand?’’ Cor had gotten used to the nurse’s voice and his mind was steadier and faster to understand the situation, he squeezed the nurse’s hand once.

‘’ You are doing well; I’m going to diminish the light now. When I count to 3, I want you to try and open your eyes again. Do you understand?’’ Cor squeezed once more; the gloved hand moved out of his own. A few seconds later, the voice came back, ‘’1,2,3.’’ Cor Leonis slowly opened his eyes; he had to blink a few times before he could make out anything other than blurred objects.

As he had expected, he found himself in a hospital room, he had a mask over his mouth and nose. Slowly moving his head sideways, he spotted what he assumed to be his nurse. The person was tall, close to 5’10; dark brown hair and brown eyes on a smiling face. Elis approached slowly, grabbing a glass of water with a straw that had been sitting on a small table beside his bed and offering the cold drink to the still groggy patient.

‘’Can you try to drink this? We’ve been keeping you hydrated through your IV but you might still be thirsty.’’ Cor grunted and he pushed himself to a sitting position, his body felt heavy and sore and he needed help from Elis to sit back comfortably against the headboard of his bed. His movements were slow but steady as he grabbed the glass of water and after removing the mask, sipping slowly from it. He had been in similar situations before and didn’t need Elis to tell him not to drink too much nor too quickly.

While he drank, Elis continued to talk with him, measuring his reactions and reflexes, Cor learnt that he was still in Galdin Quai, he had needed surgery to stop some internal bleeding that couldn’t be stopped by potions nor elixirs on hand. He would have a few new scars to add to his ever growing collection but that was to be expected if Cor’s memories were correct. He had answered a few questions about his identity, slightly amused at his nurse’s reaction to his full name and title but then again it wasn’t every day the Immortal Marshall found himself in a 2 day coma.

‘’What of the boy, Prompto? Is he alright?’’ He needed to know if the boy was safe. Elis looked at him with surprise then grinned, ‘’The young boy is alive, his only injury was a cut on his upper right arm. It required a few stitches and will leave a scar but will likely make a full recovery.’’ Elis hesitated for a few second, smile fading. ‘’I cannot tell you much more but neither him nor his parents have left the hospital since they arrived.’’

Cor frowned, it was unusual to remain at a medical facility for a simple cut; even one requiring stitches. Something else was going on but he knew that the nurse couldn’t say anything more and doubted they knew anything either. He had an idea why that might be, if his memories were correct and that the boy’s blood had indeed reacted to the daemons on that night. As he went through his memories gathering what information he could from them, his body reminded him he was still in no condition to do anything more than rest and recover as he slipped back into sleep. He could figure out what to do when he woke up, the boy would still be there.

It took an extra day before the doctors in charge of his care declared him well enough to receive visitors after being moved out of the ICU and into a private room. He had expected to see a few hunters, perhaps even Dave himself if he was in the region but in the end the first visitors he received were the blond boy and his parents. Cor Leonis stared in slight amusement when Prompto knocked on his door and entered without really waiting for a reply. A thin man followed after him quickly, scolding him quietly for being impolite and the importance of waiting before entering closed rooms. Behind them stood a woman Cor had not seen in quite a while.

‘’Sylva?’’ his surprise was visible as he stared at the woman. Sylva was grinning in amusement as she entered the room and joined her son and husband. ‘’ Hey Cor, it’s been a while. May I introduce to you my husband Lance?’’ she motioned to the tall man, ‘’and my son, who you have already meet, Prompto.’’ Prompto tilted his head, he had learnt the name of the man who had saved his life a few hours ago, and had been puzzled by his mother’s reaction to the name. His father had explained to him that Cor Leonis was a well-known Crownsguard and had been called the Immortal by many but had stayed silent on his beloved’s amusement.

Prompto gave a small bow to the injured man, still looking a bit pale and tired to the young boy, ‘’Thank you for saving me Mister Leonis.’’ Cor’s attention shifted to the boy quickly enough even as Sylva chuckled fondly. ‘’I should be the one thanking you young man.’’ came the reply, ‘’The doctor told me that your first aid saved my life. So why don’t we call it even?’’ Cor extended a hand towards the blond and waited patiently.

Prompto couldn’t help but stare and stammer as he processed what Cor had told him, he a simple commoner had saved the life of a great warrior like Cor? After a few silent minutes as Prompto simply stared at the outreached hand, Lance knelt down and put an arm around his son, ‘’I think he’s waiting for you to shake his hand, Prompto.’’ Prompto nodded once, moving his eyes to meet his mother’s, who smiled and nodded herself, before reaching out to shake Cor’s hand.

Cor’s hand was rough from years of fighting and training but his handshake was firm and calm which helped calm Prompto down enough for the child to ask a burning question, ‘’How do you know mom? You know her right? If you know mom, why haven’t I ever seen you before? How did you do that cool whooshing thing?’’ Cor was slightly stunned by the sudden barrage of questions then laughed. 

He ignored the pain that the sudden movement caused in order to answer the cheerful boy’s questions. ‘’Calm down a bit, I’ll answer what I can. Let’s start with the first one ok?’’ He patted the side of his bed, ‘’It’s a bit of a long story so I’ll just give you the short version.’’ He waited until the boy clambered to sit gingerly on the hospital bed, careful not to hurt him.

Sylva and Lance smiled at each other, Lance knew the many stories that involved his wife and Cor but hearing them from Cor’s perspective would be interesting. Not to mention that Prompto had been withdrawn and very silent the last few days only cheering up when he had been told he could visit Cor and see how he was for himself. The parents had decided to keep the real reason for their prolonged stay at the hospital secret for now and simply told Prompto the hospital wanted to run more tests because a daemon had injured him.

‘’I grew up in the same neighborhood as Sylva, your mother.’’ Cor leaned back as he recounted his memories. ‘’We were in the same class for most of our childhood but until we were a bit younger then you, we hadn’t really talked to each other.’’ Prompto was already drawn into the story and the deep voice that told it. ‘’One day after school, she showed up in front of my house and demanded I help her plan something.’’ He grinned at the memory, ‘’Your mother had quite the reputation for being a prankster but had never been caught in planning or pulling any of them. I ended up spending the next 2 hours planning how to change the new school banner from saying ‘To the future of Insomnia’ into one that seemed to be covered in blood when it rained. It worked perfectly and we never quite stopped doing them over the years.’’

Sylva chimed in, ‘’You could have stopped me at any time and as I recall you’re the one who decided to prank the King’s parade.’’ Cor shoot back, ‘’Only because if I hadn’t you would have tried to pull a prank in the Citadel itself! You would have gotten in even worst trouble!’’ His voice sounded amused more than anything. Prompto laughed, ‘’I had no idea mom knew how to pull pranks! But why did you stop being friends?’’ Cor turned back towards the boy, ‘’I don’t think we ever stopped really being friends but after the prank on the Parade, I was asked to train for the Crownguard and did so. Sylva took extra classes and well, I left when I was 15 to help King Regis with some negotiations. By the time we came back, I was too busy to do much more then send her a message every once in a while and we grew apart.’’

Cor looked a bit sad before turning his gaze to Lance, ‘’Sylva told me about you but I never had the time to meet you before the wedding. And then I got called out before I could talk with you anyways.’’ Lance inclined his head, ‘’I recall the day, Sylva had been planning quite a surprise for you but you left before she could enact her plan. She was quite mad at the affair and spent most of the night complaining about all the wasted planning. And how she would prank you next time we meet. I’m looking forward to seeing her plan for the occasion.’’ Cor lost his smile and glared at Sylva, who smiled innocently at the man. Prompto looking between his parents and a man he was already mentally calling uncle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	4. Things get moving

Cor hadn’t expected to enjoy Prompto’s company or smile so much. Once he started sharing the stories he knew about the boy’s mother; he found it impossible to stop. Prompto’s innocence and wide eyed stare of amazement was so different from the gaze of fear and silent respect that had become to norm for the famous soldier. Prompto had quickly and carefully snuggled against the older man, the last few days had been rough on him yet he felt safe with Cor. 

It wasn’t the same kind of safe as being with his parents but it made him sleepy. He closed his eyes, still trying to listen to the stories Cor was telling him about his mother and the various pranks he had shared with her when they were both kids but eventually the stress from the various tests run by the hospital staff over the last few days caught up with the blond and he fell into the first peaceful sleep since their arrival at the hospital.

Lance and Sylva noticed how comfortable Prompto was with their old friend, smiling as they watched their son snuggle to Cor. They watched as Prompto fell in love with the older man and saw the same kind of interest in Cor’s eyes, making Sylva turn to hide her smile on Lance’s shoulder. Once Prompto fell asleep, curled up against Cor’s less injured side, the worried parents rose and silently approached the duo. ‘’So whats really going on?’’ the question was whispered by Cor, his kind eyes turning sharp as he evaluated the couple before him. He had noticed their stiffness and the presence of hunters on the other side of the hospital room door, with Prompto asleep their wariness was even more pronounced and Cor wouldn’t allow that to continue.

Sylva shared a glance with her husband before they both shared their current situation with Cor. He listened to them carefully, hand absent mindedly petting Prompto hair. Once the situation was fully explained including the fact that Prompto was actually adopted, Cor sighed angrily before he reassured them, ‘’I’ll deal with the Crownsguard, they won’t have anything to say if you all travel with me. As for what will happen to Prompto…’’ He paused to gather his thoughts, ‘’ I wasn’t sure but when we were attacked, the daemons reacted strangely to him. His blood destroyed the hand of the daemon that touched it. I don’t see him being a threat; he is way too much like you to be more than an annoyance. ‘’ He grinned teasingly at Sylva, ‘’ But we will have to investigate more about it before anything can be decided.’’

Sylva glared at Cor, ‘’If you think I’m going to allow anyone to hurt Prompto!’’ Cor quickly motioned for her to calm down, ‘’Sylva, you have my word. No harm will be done to Prompto, I won’t allow it.’’ Lance laid a hand on his wife’s arm before turning back to Cor, ‘’You may command the Crownguard but can you really say such things? The king will need to be told and even you cannot go against his decision.’’ Cor shook his head, ‘’I can’t say what His majesty will decide but he does listen to me and his son is about the same age as yours. At the very least, you can be assured that he won’t allow undue harm to come to Prompto.’’ The discussion was put to an end by a knock on the door which startled Prompto awake and into a near frantic panic.

Lance quickly tugged Prompto off the bed and unto the floor to stand behind him while Cor called out, ‘’Yes?’’ The door opened to allow Elis in. ‘’I’m sorry to disturb you Mr. Leonis but I was asked to get another blood sample for further testing.’’ Prompto whimpered at the mention of the blood samples. The doctors and nurses had tried numerous times to get some over the last 2 days only to be continuously refused by his mother or father, the doctors had even tried on one occasion to take one when Sylva and Lance had been dealing with a nurse and not paying as much attention to their son. He didn’t know why they wanted it but he had caught on fairly quickly that it wasn’t good. Elis heard the boy and offered a smile to Prompto, ‘’ The blood sample needed is from Mr. Leonis, you don’t have to stay around if it makes you uncomfortable.’’

Cor greeted the nurse who had been assigned to him since the beginning of his stay, ‘’What for?’’ He hadn’t missed Prompto’s reaction but he had expected it after how the last few days had been for the boy and hearing Elis’ response seemed to make the small family relax. Elis approached slowly, not wanting to spook the young boy. ‘’Your injuries have healed significantly and the doctors have decided to release you if this last blood test returns within abnormalities.’’

Cor nodded, thankful that he would be released quickly, knowing that he had quite a bit of work to do before he could return to Insomnia. He extended his left arm to Elis, as the nurse prepared the necessary equipment and addressed Sylva and her husband, ‘’My phone got damaged during the fighting, the sim card is still functional but I can’t make call with it. Can either of you buy me a new one? I need to make a few phone calls as soon as I can.’’ 

Lance reached into his pocket, quickly removing the sim card from his phone before handing it over to Cor. ‘’Feel free to use it as long as you need to.’’ He turned to Sylva and Prompto, ‘’It’s nearing midday, why don’t we go eat something and leave Cor to rest for a bit?’’ Sylva smiled at her husband in agreement, ‘’That sounds like a wonderful idea. Unless you want us to stay Cor?’’ Cor smirked as he accepted the phone and hummed as he answered, ‘’No need. I’ll be busy for a bit but feel free to come back whenever you want.’’ The last part was directed more towards Prompto then his parents. The suggestion worked as he had hoped, and Prompto smiled brightly, ‘’ Thank you!’’ He grabbed his mother’s hand and followed his father out, leaving the Crownguard to the care of his nurse.

The following 2 hours passed by quickly for everyone, Cor making several phone calls first to Regis then to his second in command, Rhane, who had stayed in Insomnia during his expedition; the king had reacted to the news of Prompto’s treatment at Galdin Quai as Cor had expected. Angry at the way such a young child was being treated like a criminal and curious about the possible explanations for both what Cor had witness during the attack and the blood results from the hospital. 

His adviser, Ventus Scientia, had been a part of the conversation and he was already starting to make arrangement for a copy of the results to be sent to the Citadel’s medical staff. At the same time, arrangements for the boy and his family to stay in one of the guest quarters until the matter was carefully examined and a decision made were needed and started. The responsibility of announcing the decision to the Argentum Family had been left to Cor, much to the mock annoyance of the guard who was more happy to give his friend some good news for a change.

By the time Cor had been cleared and discharged from the hospital, the hunters of Galdin Quai keeping an eye on Prompto had been told to allow them to leave unhindered. Cor waited for them at the hospital entrance, he certainly hadn’t really expected Prompto to sneak up on him nor for the boy to tackle-hug him. ‘’Mom said you told the doctors and hunters they had to let us leave!’’ chirped the blond boy as he hugged to man closer. Cor ignored the pain that came with the hug with practiced ease and settled for returning the hug, ‘’Well, your parents told me you have school to return too. I couldn’t just let you skip it because of a misunderstanding.’’

He greeted a more relaxed Sylva and Lance, ‘’I spoke with His Majesty, you have all been invited to stay at the Citadel for a while. He would like to discuss a few things with you both as to what should be done.’’ Sylva and Lance glanced at each other, words unneeded between them. This was better than what had been waiting for them here. It would take a few days of traveling to return to Insomnia but with Cor traveling with them, there was nothing for the Argentum’s to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read and commented! I'm still hesitant about the pacing so any critiques or suggestion on how to get better is welcomed.
> 
> edited


	5. Uncle Cor

The trip back to Insomnia took a few days but went by without any major trouble. Cor had made it quite clear to the Galdin Quai hospital staff and to the hunters involved that any mention of Prompto’s blood results to anyone other than himself or the head doctor of the Citadel would be equal as treason to the Crown and dealt with appropriately. The car ride with Prompto was amusing to say the least as the boy fluttered between demanding stories from Cor’s childhood and trips outside of Insomnia to exclaiming about the sight passing by them. The single man found himself drawn into an innocence he had long forgotten about and rekindling a mostly forgotten friendship with Sylva.

On the first night after leaving, Cor received a report from the Citadel that he shared with Sylva and Lance once Prompto was sound asleep. The doctors in the citadel had received the blood results from Galdin Quai but there were a few discrepancies’ in the report when compared to what Cor had relayed to them a day or so ago. Despite these, the doctors were fairly confident that Prompto was no threat to Insomnia, they theorized that Prompto might have been exposed to the Star Scourge before arriving in Insomnia as a toddler and that the continuous exposure to the Wall and its magic had somehow allowed his body to adapt to its presence and create antibodies to prevent any ill effect from the scourge.

Lance had been relieved while Sylva nodded, deep in thought. ‘’It would make sense, the orphanage was never able to tell us where Prompto was born, the only clue was the barcode on his wrist…’’ Cor frowned a flash of anger at the words, ‘’A barcode?’’ Lance reached out to lightly touch his son’s arm, careful not to wake the sleeping child up. On his wrist was a thick sweat band Cor hadn’t thought much about before but now frowned at the sight. ‘’He had it when we first saw him, barely a year old. We don’t know what it means and Prompto has always hated it.’’ Lance whispered sadly.

Cor was a bit surprised by the hatred that surged at the thought of some bastard forcing a toddler to get a barcode tattooed without consent, forcing the emotion down, he let his gaze linker on Prompto’s sleeping form. ‘’I’ll see what I can find about it if you want.’’ He offered, ‘’It might help him be less self-conscious about it if he learnt what it meant but I’ll leave that decision to both of you.’’ And if Cor ever meet the man responsible for such cruelty, he would be more than happy to give them a piece of his mind, violently.

Sylva ended up spending the next morning deep in thought, responding with less enthusiasm to Cor’s stories than usual. Prompto was also a bit down cast but had cheered right back up when Lance had jumped in and started sharing stories of his own childhood. When they stopped at a rest stop for lunch, Lance approached Cor and asked, ‘’Can you keep an eye on Prompto? I’m worried about Sylva and want to check on her.’’ Cor nodded, his eyes going to watch Sylva looking at her son with a dark and worrisome expression on her face.

Letting Prompto drag him into the restaurant, Cor was surprised by the kid’s choice of food. He had expected Prompto to want a hamburger or some fries but the boy had instead ordered a small salad and nothing else. With a frown, Cor added his own food to the order and ordered an extra serving of fries before joining Prompto at one of the tables. ‘’Arent you hungry?’’ Cor asked a bit worried.

Prompto looked down and hesitantly muttered an answer but it was much too low for Cor to hear. Cor frowned a bit more, ‘’Sorry Prompto, I didn’t catch what you said. Are you feeling alright?’’ He leaned towards the boy but Prompto shook his head, refusing to meet Cor’s gaze. Cor sighed, getting more worried; he decided to move to sit beside Prompto instead of in front of him. He telegraphed his movements, not wanting to startled the shy boy as he brought him to lean on Cor’s side.

Cor had a bit of an idea on what was going on in Prompto’s mind. He had seen it in some of his recruits before but seeing the same attitude in a boy who by all account should be enjoying his life to the fullest was hard and worrying. ‘’You knew, eating healthy is very important but that means eating good proportions for your age and body. That salad isn’t enough for you.’’ Cor mentioned, Prompto tensed up as he listened to Cor speak. ‘’But I haven’t done anything today…’’ This time, Cor heard Prompto’s answer.

‘’Done anything?’’ Cor asked, Prompto nodded wordlessly, letting a few seconds pass before clarifying, ‘’I usually go for a jog in the mornings but I haven’t been able too since the… that night.’’ Cor felt like sighing but he also knew that Prompto might not take such an action well and refrained. ‘’Even if you sit still all day, your body still needs to eat properly Prompto. Not eating enough will only make your body think its starving.’’ Prompto finally moved his eyes away from his shoes to stare at Cor surprised.

Cor smirked at the sight before continuing, ‘ If your body thinks its starving, it will try to use the little you do eat to make fat because it thinks it will need it on the long run.’’ He hugged Prompto closer to him, ‘’As the head of the Crownsguard, I am very busy and have to stay in shape just as much as any of my soldiers. That means knowing how to eat properly when I have different schedules and might not be able to do my usual workout.’’ He made sure to meet Prompto’s gaze squarely.

‘’Let’s make a deal, if you eat those fries on top of that salad, I’ll show you some of the exercises I do if I’m stuck at a desk all day long. We can do them together while we travel and depending on when we stop tonight, I’ll go with you for a jog too but only if you eat properly for the rest of the day. What do you say?’’ Prompto stared at him in wonder for a few more seconds before a wide grin spread across his face and he started nodding enthusiastically.

‘’Yes! Thank you Uncle Cor!’’ Prompto hugged Cor tightly then realizing what he had just said, let go and brought his hands over his mouth, a blush coloring his face and making his freckles pop out. Cor was surprised as his mind caught up to the words Prompto had said. He started laughing and messed with the boy’s hair. ‘’I’ve never had a nephew before, can’t think of a better one though.’’ He smiled gently, trying to show he wasn’t mad at Prompto, then moved the extra fries closer to the boy and started on his own meal. Prompto followed after a few more seconds of stunned silence, devouring the salad and the fries by the time his parents returned from their private talk.

Sylva was smiling, leaning adoringly on her husband as they both joined the duo after ordering their own food. Lance noticed the empty fry package and how Cor keep an arm around his son. Sylva also noticed it and nodded her thanks to Cor, having a slight idea of what happened. They could talk later if it was needed. The rest of the day passed by rapidly, Cor stopping to buy some healthy-ish snacks before they left the rest stop. He spent the next hour showing Prompto some simply core exercises that could be done at any time and any place without equipment. When they stopped that night, Cor kept his word and went for a jog with Prompto, taking the time to also show him how to stretch properly before and after a run when he noticed that Prompto didn’t know how or why.

The only difference now, was Prompto’s new habit of calling Cor ‘’Uncle’’ every so often to the infinite amusement of Sylva and Lance, who both took up the habit and used it to tease Cor. Their arrivals at Insomnia went by mostly unnoticed as they drove up to the Citadel at Cor’s direction and were brought up to their new temporary home. The Argentum family would be meeting the King and his council the next morning after breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	6. Intruders

‘’Of course things just had to go wrong.’’ Cor grumbled, he bolted from his bed as the sound of the intruder alarm started blaring throughout the Citadel. He grabbed his sword from his bedside and ran out of the room straight towards the Royal Quarters. Most of the guards were on high alert as they reported in to their watch commander, Cor knew he would get the overall report once he reached Regis’ room.

It took less than 2 minutes to arrive to his destination, finding the guards assigned to guarding the main door to the royal suite still in place and allowing a sigh of relief that his King and by extension the Prince was safe. His second in command, Rhane, was already with the king within the fore-chamber. She gave him a quick salute before giving her report, Cor returned the salute with his own nod but his attention was mostly on Regis who looked incredibly worried and stressed. The only time the king showed such worry openly was when Noctis was involved, Cor’s thought with a frown and increasing worry, which were confirmed by what he heard as Rhane spoke.

‘’Patrolling guards along the north side of the Citadel found the 3 guards that should have been guarding the north entrance, all dead. We don’t know how many intruders have made it in. The south side of the Citadel is clear so far, the Crystal room is secure as of 5 minutes ago. The main concern currently is that Prince Noctis has once again sneaked out and we are unsure where his highness is at the moment.’’ Rhane reported to Cor. She motioned to the Citadel map spread on the table. It marked the positions of every guard and which on them had reported back to their superior officer.

Cor leaned over it, his eyes moving around as they waited for the rest of the guards to report in. He knew moving carelessly would only lead to missing information and possibly missing any of the intruders or even the location of the wayward Prince. As the minutes ticked by, Cor realized something with a shocked swear; the Argentum family nor their guards have yet to show sign of life.

‘’What is it Cor?’’ Regis inquired, his hand gripping the edge of the table until his fingers were whitened against the wooden grain. Cor grabbed the 2 way radio and barked and order, ‘’I need a report from any guards stationed in the guest wing!’’ he turned to his King and explained, ‘’The Argentum family are still there and there have been no report from any of the guards assigned there.’’ Regis nodded in understanding, ‘’Do you believe they may be the target of this intrusion?’’

Cor shook his head, ‘’There is no way to know but it can’t be ruled out.’’ The Marshall waited another 5 minutes before resettling his sword on his hip. ‘’With your permission, your majesty, I would like to go personally to verify the state of the guest wing.’’ Regis looked slightly shock then worried before offering a slim regal smile, ‘’Of course, go Marshall and see to the safety of our guests.’’

Cor bowed firmly and gave one last order to Rhane before leaving, ‘’You are to stay by His Majesty side until I return.’’ Rhane salute, ‘’As you command Marshall.’’ Cor left quickly and headed straight for the west guest wing where he had left Sylva and her family only hours ago. He made note of everyone who passed him and kept an ear out for any report from the guest wing. None came.

As he approached the wing, he spotted the first sign of trouble in the form of a blood spatter on the right wall. Cor posed momentarily to touch the blood, it was still fresh. He growled low in his throat as he speed up, worry churning his gut at what he might find. He turned the corner leading to the halls leading to their rooms and found himself in the middle of a fight. There were 5 men dressed in dark colors fighting with an equal amount of guards in Crownguard gear. Cor never hesitated, pulling out his sword, before he dove into the fight silent and deadly.

The first of the intruders never knew Cor was there as the Marshall’s blade slashed through the air, severing the intruder’s neck without difficulty, the headless body dropping to the ground, spilling crimson blood on the white marble floor. The Marshall dodged around it towards his next target, an intruder that had just stabbed one of the guards and was half turned towards him before Cor reached him.

Cor’s first strike was dodged by his opponent, the edge of his sword barely glancing their arm, not deep enough to draw blood but enough to force them back. Cor followed through his attack, using his downward momentum to roll under the intruder’s retaliation strike, emerging into a kneeling position and swiping his sword backwards. The second strike landed squarely, cutting through his opponent’s spine, Cor didn’t wait to see the intruder fall, twisting back to his feet and into a stance ready to fight but he found it unnecessary.

His arrival and the confusion that followed gave the Crownguards soldiers the edge they needed and by the time Cor had downed his second opponent, the rest of the fighting was over. Cor keep his grip on his sword before barking, ‘’Report!’’ One of the Crownguard saluted and answered while the others started dealing with their injured comrade. ‘’Sir! Thank you for the assistance! ‘’ Cor keep his stare on the guard without a word. The guard gulped nervously before continuing, ‘’These appear to be the only intruders in the west guest wing Sir! We had just finished verifying the rest of the area when they attacked.’’

‘’What of the guests?’’ Cor demands to know, the reply allowing him to relax somewhat, ‘’We confirmed their safety and left 3 guards with them until we could ensure their safety while leaving the area.’’ With that, Cor spun around and headed towards where his friend and her family were staying, ‘’Get the wounded to the infirmary and report to your watch commander afterwards. I’ll escort the guests to a safe location personally.’’ 

The walk from there to their rooms was only a few minutes but it felt much longer for Cor, his body still tense by the night’s activities and uncertainty still standing around the intrusion. He felt himself relax further as he spotted 2 guards standing in front of their door, on guard and without any signs of fighting. They both spotted the Marshall as he approached, saluting him and waited for Cor to speak, ‘’I’m here to escort His Majesty’s guest to a safer location until the situations has been contained.’’

Without waiting for a response, the Marshall knocked on the door and announced his presence before entering. Sylva was sitting on a sofa across the room, away from the windows while her husband was pacing up and down the room length. They both looked at him and visibly relaxed at his arrival. The third guard was standing beside the only window of the room and offered the Marshal a quick salute before returning to gazing outside the window carefully and on guard for anyone approaching. Sylva rose to greet him, ‘’Cor! Thank the Six, what’s going on?’’ Cor offered the nurse a thin smile, his eyes glancing around the room for the missing member of the family as he replied, ‘’There has been an intrusion; I’m here to escort all of you to a safer area until things have settled down. Where is Prompto?’’ Lance gave a sigh of relief as he moved closer to the man while his wife answered, ‘’He went to put on some warmer clothes, we didn’t know what would happen and thought it best to be ready.’’

Cor nodded and motioned for the guard to get ready, ‘’Go get him, we need to move quickly.’’ Sylva had already been moving toward her son’s room as she spoke, nodding towards her friend and then knocking on the door. When no answer came back from the other room, she frowned and call out, ‘’Prompto? Honey? Are you alright?’’ She saw Lance approach followed by Cor as there was no reply audible above the constant alarm still blaring throughout the Citadel. She tried the knob, finding it unlocked and pushed the door open, worried for her son.

The room she walked in was dark and empty, Prompto wasn’t there. A smashed window on the other side of the room allowed a cold breeze to enter it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I write a fight scene with any kind of detail. I hope it wasnt too cringe worthy. Thank you to everyone who is still reading this and to everyone who commented!
> 
> edited


	7. Intruders-Prompto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone who left a comment and kudos :) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Prompto woke up with a scream as a blaring sound echoing through his room, piercing his dream. His mind filled with panic from the abrupt wake-up call, he looked around him frantically. _Alone, not home, NOT SAFE!_ The unknown place increased his fears as he slipped out of the bed and towards the glimmer of light underneath what he assumed was the door. He had barely taken 2 steps when the door opened and his mother ran in, ‘’Prompto are you okay?’’ She dropped down in front of him, taking the scared boy into her arms gently. Prompto clutched back as the sight of his mother and his father leaning on the door frame quick started his mind past the initial fright and brought back the last few days to the front of his mind.

Prompto nodded, not trusting his voice at the moment and forcing himself to breathe deeply as he fought to bring his panic under some kind of control. Sylva combed her fingers gently through his blond hair, keeping him close until she felt him relax enough to be safe. Lance stood for a few moments, initially by the door to his son’s room, but left to talk with the guards that he remembered had been left last evening in front of their guest suite.

The 2 guards were at their place just as he remembered, one of them turned to look at him as he opened the door. ‘’Sir, please get back inside.’’ They said firmly, raising a hand to stop Lance from leaving the room itself. Lance paused and nodded, ‘’I simply want to know what’s going on. What can you tell me?’’ The guards exchanged a quick glance before the same guard as before replied, ‘’The alarm is to indicate an intruder, Sir. You and your family are under our protection so please do as we say and wait in the main room. Keep away from the windows and we shall keep you informed of anything you need to know.’’

Lance thanked them and retreated to the where his son and Sylva were still holding each other. He waited a bit, drinking in the sight of his loved ones together even if the situation wasn’t ideal, he took the few steps separating them and knelt beside Prompto. ‘’ Are you ok son?’’ Lance asked quietly. Prompto shifted his gaze to his father and nodded again, taking a few deep breath before speaking, his voice still trembling a bit, ‘’ Y.. Ya. I think…so..’’ He took a step back away from his mother, but still holding on to her sleeve, to face his father.

Lance nodded and offered Prompto a smile, ‘’I talked with the guards, they told me that the alarm means that there is an intruder in the Citadel. They don’t think we have to worry about anything but it might be best to move away from the windows just in case.’’ Lance waited a few seconds before getting back to his feet and motioning for everyone to move to the main room of their suite and toward the sofas there.

The small family sat down on the sofa, Lance on the side closest to the door with Sylva on the other side and their son firmly and safely tucked in between them. Prompto curled up in a ball as soon as he sat down, leaning into the comforting touch of his parents on either side of him. The alarm was very loud and seemed overwhelming to the boy. As the minutes ticked by with no end to the alarm, Prompto started to shiver. He was still only dressed in his pajamas and the Citadel was an old and cold place, too cold to be sitting still with little clothes to protect the young boy.

Sylva noticed this immediately but as she leaned over to check on her son, there was a knock on their door, barely heard over the alarm. A voice called out, ‘’It’s me, the guard you talked to earlier. May I come in?’’ Lance had tensed at the knock but relaxed when the voice called out. He got up as he replied, ‘’Come in.’’ The door opened and in came the guard from earlier accompanied by someone else, another guard in Crownguard outfit. They closed the door behind them but not before Lance caught a look outside and saw several other guards talking outside.

Both guards kept a hand on their weapons as they approached Lance and his family, ‘’We apologies for the intrusion, several other guards have arrived and we will be leaving Enar in here with you until we have confirmed the safety of the guest wing.’’ The new guard nodded as they moved towards the window to stand looking outside from its edge. Lance sat back down, ‘’Any news on the situation?’’ The first guard replied, ‘’I’m afraid not at the moment. I would ask that you be ready to move if it becomes necessary and that you follow Enar’s orders should they give any.’’ With those words, the guard left.

Sylva tugged Prompto closer, feeling how cold he was and his increased shivering. ‘’It might be a good idea for you to go put some warmer clothes on. Us as well.’’ She motioned to Lance on the last part. Enar glance over, ‘'As long as you stay away from the windows you should be alright. Shout if you need anything.’’ Prompto shuffled off the sofa, and paused, somewhat hesitant to find himself all alone but before his mother could say anything he nodded firmly to himself and headed into the room he had claimed as his the previous evening. _It was going to be ok, there was a guard right there if anything happened after all. And why would intruders be around here? If there really were intruders then they would be after the royal family right?_ Prompto thought, trying to convince himself he was right about what the intruders wanted.

But the thought that someone could try and harm the raven haired prince Prompto had meet a few months ago simply increased his panic. Lost in his own thoughts, he moved mechanically to the bag holding his clothes, got dressed and then approached the window. Staring blankly outside, it took a few seconds before his mind noticed what he was seeing. On the rooftop not too far away from his room, he could see a young boy dressed in black moving slowly away from where Prompto stood. There was no mistaking that silhouette, the Prince!

Prompto watched in shock as the prince disappeared out of his view, as he started to turn away from the window to alert the guard; he noticed another figure following the Prince. He was barely aware of his own actions as he opened the window and got up on the edge of it to get a better look. He couldn’t make much of the second form but his stomach turned as he realized he might be seeing one of the intruders that had started the alarm in the first place.

He opened his mouth to shout but thought better of it since it might alert the intruder and make things worse for the prince. His eyes darted around trying to figure out what to do when it landed on some sturdy vines that lead all the way above his room to a small over-arch, which in turn led to the very rooftop the prince had passed by. Prompto didn’t allow himself to second guess himself as he started the climb. Thankfully, Prompto was in better shape than during his first meeting with the lonely prince and while he found himself panting as he climbed on the over-arch, he was able to keep going. The shapes of the Prince and the Intruder were barely visibly against the night sky as Prompto started to pursue the duo as silently as he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	8. Second Meeting

The Citadel was strangely quiet from the rooftops; the alarm that had been so loud within its wall couldn’t be heard from where Prompto was trying his best to follow the blurry shapes moving in front of him. His thoughts were running in circles, despite his best attempts to keep them under control, images of him tripping and falling to his death meet images of getting to Prince Noctis too late and finding him dead. Prompto found himself shivering both from the constant cold breeze and the anxious energy that seemed to have taken a permanent hold on him.

Minutes passed before the smallest of the figures stopped moving somewhere along what Prompto thought to be the Northern wing, though it would been impossible for him to know for certain as the blond boy had lost track of where they had started and where they actually were fairly early. He had also lost track of the supposed Intruder… Prompto panicked as he started looking around frantically for the other person. How could he have been so stupid? Here he was, trying to help the prince but like always, he just made things worst! Biting his lower lip in worry, Prompto found himself unable to decide what to do next.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, debating whether or not he should approach the prince, and if he did then what should he say? What if he made another mistake like last time? The anxious boy was so caught up in his own mind; he didn’t notice the 2 tall figures sneaking up on him from behind. He only realized his mistake when a hand was firmly put over his mouth and someone pushed him down abruptly to the ground.

Startled out of his anxious mindset and straight into a panicking one, Prompto tried to scream and get away from his attackers but he found himself quickly pinned down and unable to move by a large figure holding him down, the figure’s free hand still firmly keeping him quiet. Prompto recognized the second figure as they both knelt down beside, the larger one on, the boy; it was the Intruder he had seen earlier!

Panic growing faster in his mind, Prompto wanted to at least warn the Prince of the danger but he still wasn’t able to budge the heavy weight settled on his back. A pair of glasses glinted softly in the moonlight as the figure leaned down to take a closer look at the blond child before a sigh escaped his lips and he said calmly, ‘’If you stop struggling and promise to be silent, Gladiolus will let you sit back up.’’ Prompto started nodding his head, he had no intention of keeping silent but if he could at least scream once than that should be enough to get the prince’s attention.

As the tall and thin person with the glasses nodded to the person holding him down, Gladiolus, Prompto took a deep breath in preparation of what he would have to do. To his surprise though, the prince was making his way closer to the trio, ‘’Ignis! Gladio! Whats going on?’’ Stunned into silence, Prompto found himself unable to speak for an entirely different reason.

The man, Prompto wasn’t sure if he was an intruder any longer, glanced over at the prince before returning his gaze to Prompto who was staring, wide eyed and open mouth. The Prince’s Shield moved to placed himself between the prince and the intruder while staying close enough to interfere if the strange kid made a move towards Ignis. Prompto swallowed in fear as he finally got a look at the person who had pinned him down so easily. Even with a jacket and shirt on, Gladiolus was massive, even more so then Prompto had been when he first approached the Prince but while Prompto had been heavy due to a bad diet; Gladiolus was heavy from pure muscles.

Still kneeling beside him, the thin person in glasses cleared his throat to gain Prompto’s attention, ‘’Perhaps you could in lighten us as to who you are and what exactly you were doing? Stalking the prince in the middle of the night is not recommended.’’ ‘’I wasn’t stalking him! Promise!’’ The words shot out before his mind could catch up properly and the words merely earned him a raised eyebrow from Ignis and a grunt from Gladiolus.

Noctis moved closer as he heard the voice of the person Gladio had been holding. It sounded familiar and his suspicion was confirmed as he got the first good look at the boy since their meeting a few months ago. ‘’Oh, you’re that photograph boy right? The one who tried to talk with me at school.’’ The prince said intrigued. Ignis hummed as he looked at his charge, the adviser had been told the story of the blond overweight boy who had tried to hold a conversation with the prince a while ago. ‘’Is that so?’’ Prompto nodded frantically at Ignis’ comment, eyes cast down in shame and feeling the heat of a blush over his face.

Gladio half growled, ‘’Doesn’t explain why the kid is here or why he was following his Highness in the middle of the night.’’ Noctis ignored his guard to get closer to the boy, their conversation had been interrupted by the class bell that time but there was nothing to interrupt them this time unless Ignis and Gladio decided to scare him into silence; which was quite possible considering the current situation.

Noctis extended his hand toward the boy, ‘’Can you stand?’’ Prompto stared from Noctis to the outstretched hand and back to the Prince’s face before he hesitantly reached out his own, seeing out of the corner of his eye how both older guys tensed up as he grasped the outreached hand. Noctis pulled him up with a grimace but no comment this time, Ignis had been quite clear that what he had said during their first meeting had been very rude of the prince, instead Noctis simply asked, ‘’So what’s your name?’’

Prompto was trembling as he stood, overwhelmed by the trio around him, ‘’ I.. I’m Prompto… Prompto Argentum.’’ He mumbled in reply. Thankfully Ignis and Noctis were close enough to hear him even with the low mumble. Ignis glanced sharply at Gladiolus at the name; both of them had been told about the small family returning to Insomnia with the Marshall to stay at the Citadel for an undetermined amount of time. While Gladiolus hadn’t heard the name, he did catch the glance from Ignis and knew that the boy’s name meant something to the adviser. The guard unfurled his arms and decided to sit down in front of the kid to try and appear less threatening.

Noctis nodded his expression a bit curious but mostly blank and he half turned to Ignis, expecting his adviser to know who the boy was. Ignis pushed his glasses back unto his nose before questioning Prompto further, ‘’Argentum you say? Then you are the child the Marshall brought back from Galdin Quai?’’ Prompto nodded, ‘’Well that does explain why you are in the Citadel but not why you are on the rooftop imitating his highness’ foolishness.’’

Prompto’s eye widen as he remembered the reason he had left the comfort and safety of his room to try and reach the Prince, ‘’Intruders!’’ he shouted, ‘’There was an alarm and the guards said that it meant that Intruders were in the Citadel! I saw Noctis on the rooftop and thought one of the Intruders was following him! I had to do something!’’ He motioned toward the general direction of his arrival, still unsure of where he was but glad that he could at least warn the Prince and whoever the other 2 were.

Gladiolus was back up on his feet immediately, ‘’Shit! Sorry Princess, you’re stargazing evening just got put on hold.’’ The guard grabbed his charge, his other hand flashed metallic under the night sky as he unsheathed his sword. On the other side of the prince, Ignis did the same with his daggers before addressing Prompto again, ‘’It would seem further discussion will have to wait until we get you and his highness somewhere safe. I suggest you remain close to the prince and stay out of the way.’’ Prompto nodded his head vigorously, his hand clenching tightly enough for his nails to bite painfully into his palm.

He had known about the intruders but until this very moment, seeing the sword and dagger in the hand of the older boys; it had only been a distant knowledge similar to how his knowledge of daemons had been before his encounter with them at Galdin Quai. The pain in his hands helped keep his mind from going into a full on panic attack for the moment but he knew that it would happen eventually.

Noctis seemed to notice Prompto’s fear and offered the only comfort he could, he slid a hand into Prompto’s and squeezed it tight, ‘’It’s going to be ok. Gladio is going to keep us safe.’’ There was no doubt in his mind or his voice as he spoke. Above the 2 young boys, Ignis and Gladio shared another look before Gladiolus started moving, calling out as he did, ‘’Stay a few feet behind me and if either me or Ignis tell you do to something then do it at once.’’ He didn’t wait for an answer before bringing his gaze back in front of him, mind falling into a focused state as the group started to make it way down from the roof top into the Northern courtyard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	9. Close inspection

Sylva panicked as she ran over to the window and started shouting for her son, ''Prompto! Prompto!!! Where are you?" Her shouts of panic quickly brought Cor, Lance and their guard into the room. Cor stopped briefly at the door to take a sharp look around, making note that the room was mostly pristine except for the shattered window and a pair of children pj's thrown on the messy bed.

Thankfully, he noted no signs of blood or a struggle but no sign of Prompto either. Sylva was on the verge of hysterics as she clutched her husband closely. Cor moved closer to the couple and meet Lance's gaze, "We can’t stay here. Enar will take you to a secure area." Cor declared, keeping his tone calm and even. Sylva turned on him in shock, "Our son is missing Cor! We aren’t going anywhere without him!" Lance narrowed his eyes but didn’t add anything to his wife's words.

Cor held up a hand, motioning for them to calm down, "I'll go after Prompto, there isn’t any sign of Prompto being injured or any kind of fighting happening. I don’t know where he has gone or why he decided it would be a good idea to just up and leave but you have my word, I'll find him and bring him back to both of you." He kept his eyes firmly on the couple, "But I can’t concentrate on finding Prompto and keeping you both safe at the same time." He then motioned to the guard, "I leave them to you. I cleared the way earlier so you shouldn’t encounter any trouble."

There was still a lot of hesitation from Sylva and Lance, both knew that Cor was making sense but as parents, they wanted to be there to help find their son and keep him safe. Cor didn’t wait for them to try and debate things any longer, making his way to the window, he looked around and quickly made up his mind. The only way the young boy could have gone was up. There was a series of vines climbing by the window and the rooftops of the Citadel were mostly interconnected by sculptures and over-arches.

Cor jumped up to grab a hold of the roof ledge and rolled himself unto it without any trouble. The next part would be more difficult since the roofs were made of stone and thus unlikely to have traces of the boy's passage. Drawing up to his full height, he glanced around the night, hoping to see any spot of blond hair or pale skin. Instead, he spotted the telltale glint of weapons being drawn at the very edge of the Northern Wing. Swearing, he started running towards it, his sword drawn in preparation for whatever he might find.

Prompto held tight unto the hand offered by the prince as he followed the huge man leading them towards a series of stairs that seemed to lead down towards a lower level of the Citadel. With Gladiolus in the front and Ignis bringing in the back, Prompto found his eyes drawn to the relaxed prince still holding his hand as they walked. Prompto didn’t keep his eyes on him for long, just stealing glances as often as he felt safe doing without being noticed by the prince.

Prince Noctis had a bored expression on his face even now, his expression hadn't changed from their first meeting but once more Prompto noticed the sense of unease he felt. It was as though the expression was fake, something that the anxious boy had some experience doing himself as a means to hide from what he was feeling. Even in the slight light of the stars and moon, Prompto could see the bags beneath the raven haired boy's eyes. There was tightness to his shoulders that told Prompto that his classmate was nervous even if he hid it much better then Prompto ever could. As Prompto noticed more and more of the tiny details, it told him a very different story from the first impression prince Noctis gave off.

The group was able to hear the alarm Prompto had told them about earlier once they started down the stairs, it was still blaring just as loudly as Prompto remembered. The blond winced as the sound made his previous, half-forgotten, headache come back. "It’s too quiet." declared Ignis suddenly as he closed the door behind them. Gladiolus nodded, shifting his sword slightly, "No guards either, that means trouble." The older man shot a look at the 2 younger boys behind him. "Stick close to us and no running off." He glared at the Prince who met his gaze squarely for a moment before looking away.

"Very perceptive of you, young Amicitia. But I would expect no less from the future King's Shield." The voice rose up from the darkness and a light flickered on from the corner of the room. A tall man with crimson hair stood on the far side of the room with his arms crossed in a relaxed manner, Ignis was quick to step in front of the 2 younger boys, his daggers held in a protective manner in his grip. Beside him Gladiolus did the same, it only served to make the unknown man smirk in obvious amusement.

"No need to be so frightened boys; I won’t harm you... for the moment at least." The unknown man chuckled, "I am here to pick up something of interest to me. As long as you don’t interfere then you will come to no harm." The dark eyes were fixed on Prompto, who stood frozen to his spot. Ignis and Gladiolus shifted their stance to completely hide the blond out of sight of the Intruder. Their loyalty was to their prince but neither of them were willing to allow a citizen of Lucis come to harm without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here come the first look at Ardyn. Since he now has entered the story I would like my reader's opinion on what to do with him. I have 2 directions I am comfortable writing which are:  
> 1) Ardyn is a revengeful man who wont stop at anything to destroy Lucis and those who betrayed him.  
> or  
> 2) Ardyn is corrupted by the StarScourge he absorbed as the original King and Healer but he originally just wanted to help people.
> 
> Which one would you like to see me write?  
> Edit: vote is done.


	10. Broken promise

The man laughed at the sight before him, 2 of the children standing in his way, thinking that they could somehow stop him. ‘’How amusing. Do you not realize how powerless you all are?’’ He took 2 steps forward, stepping completely out of the shadows, his hand raising up to reach past the children standing in his way, aiming towards the fat blond child hiding behind them all. Gladiolus didn’t hesitate for a moment, swinging his sword with the intent to cut of the offending hand. Ignis moved moments later, slightly slower but with no hesitation either as he threw one of his dagger towards the intruder’s head.

Ardyn sighed at the attacks, not wanting to waste time with either of them. He ducked under the dagger and caught the Amicitia boy’s blade in the hand he had targeted. ‘’You should have simply listened to me. Perhaps this will serve as a needed lesson, never attack your betters!’’ Ardyn’s free hand snapped forward, past Gladiolus’ guard and hit the boy on the center of his chest. A crack could be heard, resounding through the room as Gladiolus collapse to his knees, chest on fire and breathless.

Throwing aside the sword, he turned his attention to the other boy. Ignis tightened his grip on his dagger, trying to hide the slight shaking that had started when Gladiolus had fallen so easily to a single blow from the Intruder. He cast a quick glance behind him where Noctis and the other boy, Prompto, were still standing and made his decision. ‘’Noct! Run!’’ Ignis shouted before rushing toward the intruder. He held no illusion of victory but at the very least, he hoped to buy the prince and Prompto a few more seconds to leave the room and run away.

Noctis jerked as he heard Ignis’ command, still holding on to Prompto’s hand, and did as he was told. Trying not to look behind him, Noctis started running towards the doors leading outside. He told himself he wasn’t abandoning either of his friends, he was going to find help and then come right back to save them! The prince reached out to push against the door when he felt something slam into him and then a sharp scream of pain.

Prompto had stared in horror at the man when he had stepped out of the shadows and started talking. His body shivering in fear even if he didn’t know why exactly he was so afraid; his fear and panic increased when the Intruder made it clear that he was after Prompto but why? The young boy could do nothing but watch as Ignis, Gladiolus and even Prince Noctis put themselves between him and the scary man. He couldn’t do anything as Gladiolus tried to protect him and was injured for it nor when Ignis shouted at the Prince to run before running straight towards the Intruder. He felt Prince Noctis turn and drag him along as he headed towards the door. His eyes were still staring at the intruder.

It was because Prompto couldn’t take his eyes off the crimson haired man that he was able to finally do something. Ignis, aiming his daggers at the Intruders eyes, rushed in trying to make the man concentrate on him rather than the younger boys but Ardyn didn’t pay him any attention. The intruder moved his head out of the way of the dagger and grabbed the boy by the wrist, squeezing until he felt the fine bones of Ignis’ wrist grind together under his grasp. Ignis gritted his teeth together at the pain, refusing to utter a sound that would make Noctis turn around. His hand was unable to grasp the dagger any longer and it fell out of his grip into the waiting hand of the Intruder. 

The man grinned as he took aim and allowed the dagger to fly right at the fleeing back of the Prince. Ignis tried to move and prevent it but the man was much too strong and his attempts failed. The adviser could do nothing but watch as his own dagger flew towards the boy he had sworn to protect and cherish. It was then that Prompto moved; the blond not really aware of what he was doing, only that he had to protect the raven haired boy from being injured because of him.

Prompto tore his eyes away from the Intruder and shoved Prince Noctis with all his strength, feeling the hand that had gripped him so tightly let go and then burning pain radiating from a single spot on his lower back. A scream of terrified pain filled the air as Prompto fell forwards unto the Prince with a whimper. Ardyn sighed as he watched his borrowed dagger dig into the blond boy’s back.

He carelessly threw Ignis to the side and stepped over a barely conscious Gladiolus as he approached the fallen Prince and his injured prey. ‘’What a pity, had you only stayed in your place then this wouldn’t hurt so much.’’ He approached the 2 children with slow, steady steps, amusement at the situation slowly turning into boredom. Behind him, he felt the other 2 boys struggling to get up and help their fallen Prince.

Said prince had been stunned by the shove and fall, his legs were partially pinned under the heavier boy’s body and Noctis was trying to stem the bleeding from Prompto’s back. Ardyn knelt down beside the 2 boys with a chuckle; he raised his hand reaching to grab the prince by the collar. When Noctis had realized that Prompto had been injured, his mind had blanked out for a second. He moved without realizing it, barely aware of his foot being pinned under Prompto as his mind had zoned in to the blood pouring around a familiar dagger. 

The scarlet liquid slipped through his fingers despite his best attempt to try and stem its flow and his mind remembered the last time he had seen so much blood being spilt. Noctis whimpered his mind far away to another time and place and he didn’t feel the Intruder’s hand grab him until he was lifted up and pain from his foot snapped him back into the present. Ardyn grinned at the small prince and was about to throw him aside when Noctis brought blood covered hands to grasp at the hand clutching him.

As the blood came into contact with Ardyn’s skin, he howled in pain as a burning sensation, one he had no felt since his fall from grace, filled his senses. He dropped the prince and staggered several steps back, his other hand clutching the injured area as he stared in shock at the marks appearing across his skin. At all the area’s where Prompto’s blood had touched Ardyn’s skin, it had blistered as though burnt, small black wisp’s of his corruption struggling to heal the area only to disappeared within moments of emerging. ‘’ Impossible!’’ Ardyn muttered to himself as he stared in shock.

By this time, Ignis had regained his footing and while he didn’t understand what had cause the Intruder to let his Prince go nor what had injured him, he knew that this was an opportunity that could not be ignored. Finding the first dagger he had thrown from its resting place in the wall, the adviser made use of the Intruder’s sudden carelessness to try and help his prince. He tackled the Intruder, trying to angle him away from the prince and the injured boy on the floor and stood firmly between them once more.

Ardyn stumbled several step until he found his balance and with it came a conclusion as to the fate of the boy Niflheilm had received Intel about. It would be too dangerous for his plan to leave the boy be or to bring him back as Verstael had requested. Prompto Argentum would have to die and his body destroyed.

Ardyn shook off the pain from the burns stinging his arm, drawing up to his full height as a hand snaked beneath his robes to grab the gun he kept there. Ignis stiffened as he spotted the metal weapon in the hand of the Intruder. Ardyn grinned painfully, and pulled the trigger. The sound of the gunshot resounded through the room, painfully loud, accompanied only by the sound of breaking glass.

Faster than any of the boys expected, a figure broke through the glass door and stood in between the injured trio and the Intruder. The moment Ardyn pulled the trigger, a flash of metal moved and the bullet aimed at Ignis’s heart found its target instead in the wall beside the boy.

‘’Ignis, gather the boys and tend to their injuries as much as you can. Others are on their way.’’ Cor Leonis kept his voice calm and stern as he faced the crimson haired intruder wielding a gun within the Citadel. Struggling to get up, Gladiolus Amicitia was on his hands and knees with a pained look. The future shield was the closest to the Intruder, though far enough that Cor felt confident in his ability to guard him despite the distance. There was only one Intruder present after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who commented and gave me their opinion on what to do with Ardyn! I appreciate all the feedback. I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)  
> edited


	11. Face off

Cor glared at the Intruder, watching the man carefully for any signs of movement. He sensed Ignis start moving, kneeling down beside the younger boys and whispering to the frightened prince softly. ‘’Your highness, are you unharmed?’’ The Prince nodded mutely, watching Ignis start putting pressure around his dagger. The pressure drew a groan from the injured Prompto and a weak attempt from the blond boy to shift away from Ignis.

Noctis bit his lip sharply, his eyes drawn to the blood that stained the floor, he moved closer to the injured boy and hesitantly started carting his fingers through the thin blond hair. ‘’It’s ok, Ignis is just trying to help you. You’ll be ok. Please…’’ The prince whispered, looking pleadingly at his adviser, the older boy who always seemed to know what to do at all time. Ignis offered a trembling smile, he was unable to apply as much pressure as he would like with what was most likely a broken wrist rendering one hand useless. ‘’Your highness, I need you to help me put pressure on his injury, can you do that?’’ The question was answered by movement rather than words, Noctis shifting so he could reach the bloody injury without moving too far away from Prompto.

Gladiolus had spent the last few minutes in pain, trying to draw breath into a painful chest, each breath bringing more pain and making it almost impossible for him to move. It was sheer stubbornness that allowed him to get to his hand and knees but that was the most he could do through the pain. He could see out of the corner of his eye the blurry shape of the Marshall standing in front of the Prince, the presence of a man acknowledged by his father was enough to make him feel safe. That minute amount of relaxation was enough to force Gladiolus unconscious, his body slipping back onto the floor with a thump.

Cor Leonis was angry, at himself and at the intruder who had dared to enter the Citadel and injure those under his care. His grip was steady on his sword, the metal edge pointing straight at the Intruder. The man’s stance showed confidence and anger as he held on to a gun still pointing at the children. The light from neither the corner lamp nor the windows was enough to make up more than a few details. The Intruder was tall, wearing black clothes and a large overcoat; his crimson hair and his golden eyes were by far the most unusual things about him.

Ardyn glared at the man who had showed up to interfere with his plans, he knew Cor Leonis by reputation and for his part in Regis’ trip to Accordo, almost 2 decades ago. He shifted his aim from its previous position toward the warrior, his mind already going through the possible way to deal with the situation while completing his goal. Ardyn knew he could take the man in a fight but doing so would prove to be lengthy and would tip his hand early. He wanted to avoid that at all costs, at least for another decade while he finalised his plans.

The thump of Gladiolus slipping into unconsciousness was unexpected and drew the attention of both adults. Cor’s attention slid from the Intruder to the son of his friend for a split second but that moment was enough for Ardyn to act. He turned the gun from Cor to the unprotected boy and pulled the trigger, not waiting to see if his aim was true, as he drew to him a smoke bomb through his magic and threw it down.

Cor’s thought had stopped in horror at the sound and sight of Gladiolus collapsing and he was moving before his conscious mind realized what the Intruder was doing. Cor dove for Gladiolus, dragging him out of the way from the bullet’s path and shifting the boy roughly unto his back. It was not the ideal thing to do when Cor had no idea what injuries the young man had sustained but it was better than allowing him to die.

The Crownguard was back up to his feet just in time to see a small metallic canister hitting the ground and the following smoke emerging from it. ‘’Ignis! Get the boys out of here now!’’ Cor shouted, he would not risk the children’s safety in order to pursue an Intruder that appeared to be retreating. He dropped down and carefully but quickly picked up Gladiolus in his arm. He kept his grip on his sword, not taken the risk he was wrong about the Intruder’s intention as he ran towards the veranda door.

Ignis had reacted quickly to the Marshall’s instruction, putting aside the pain from his wrist; he carefully picked up Prompto in his arms and motioned for the Prince to get out first. The smoke was quickly filling the air, the acrid smell making the trio cough as they struggled out through the broken glass door and into the fresh air outside.

Ignis quickly made his way down through the stairs to the ground floor before laying Prompto back down unto his stomach. Their hurried movement had restarted the bleeding and Ignis went back to trying to stem the blood flowing as much as he could. He could hear shouts approaching from the side, and a quick glance confirmed that the people arriving were members of the Crownguards and that among them were a few doctors.

The adults reached Ignis, Prince Noctis and Prompto at the same time as Cor arrived, still bearing an unconscious Gladiolus. The injured boys were quickly taken away by the doctors, leaving Cor to explain the situation and update the king. Anger still thrummed in his veins as he made his way to the Royal suite where the King was waiting with his retinue and most likely Sylva with Lance.

By the time he had reached the door leading into the royal rooms, the alarm had been silenced and left in its wake a heavy atmosphere that only enhanced the anxiety running through the castle staff. The Marshall stopped before the doors, taking a deep breath before knocking and waiting for the King’s reply before entering. Cor pushed the door and slipped in, letting it close behind him as silently as possible.

King Regis was sitting, slumped on one of the cushioned chairs, flanked by both his royal adviser, Ignis’ uncle, and his Shield, Clarus Amiticia. All of the men looked at Cor as he entered the room; their eyes betraying the worry each felt for their children. On the opposite side of the room, sitting between a few guards that include Enar, were Sylva and Lance both just as silent and tense as the royal retinue. Their reaction to his arrival was starkly different as both rose up and moved to meet him.

‘’Where is Prompto?’’ Sylva demanded, looking calmer than earlier but still tense and worried. Lance stood by her side, keeping a hand on her arm in comfort and support as he waited for Cor to answer. Cor stood still for a moment before bowing to her in apology, he kept his voice steady as he gave his report towards Sylva and her husband but also to the King and his retinue.

‘’An Intruder was able to corner Prince Noctis, Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amiticia and Prompto Argentum. There was a fight which resulted severe injury to both Gladiolus and Prompto and a broken wrist for Ignis. The Prince was frightened but appeared unharmed thanks to their efforts.’’ He ignored the gasp that came from Sylva to continue, straightening up, ‘’The doctors are treating their injuries as we speak. As for the Intruder, I am afraid that he fled shortly after I arrived.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	12. Surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give Ignis' Uncle a name so here it is: Ventus Scientia. Thank you for all the comments and kudos :)

Cor was expecting Sylva to get mad at him, his shoulders tensing in preparation for what she might do but the silence that followed was somehow a thousand times worse than anything she could have said or done. Cor risked a glance at her and almost took a step back in fear at the expression on her face. Her face was calm with just the barest hint of a smile but her eyes were terrifying. 

Cor Leonis had seen this very expression on Sylva’s face only twice before, both time resulted in a prank of such epic proportion that they were still whispers of it in the city after dark. Both times had been in retaliation for an act that Sylva had seen as immoral and despicable and the victims had found themselves disappearing from society in shame and fear.

Sylva slipped her husband’s hand off her arm and stepped closer to her childhood friend before whispering in a deadly calm voice, ‘’Where is he?’’ Cor swallowed and this time did take a step back, out of her way before replying, ‘’In the infirmary, Enar can bring you to it.’’ Sylva nodded and walked past Cor without another glance at him, leaving Lance and Enar to hurry up after her. The silence continued for a few more seconds before King Regis stood up and started heading out, ‘’You can give us the details while we walk. I need to see my son as well.’’

Cor bowed to his king and stepped in behind him, he forced his mind away from Sylva, focusing on giving his majesty and his colleagues the rest of the report. A description of the Intruder that had fled was sent out to all guards and Cor was told about the other intruders that had been apprehended. Other than the 5 men that Cor had encountered in the west wing, there had been another 10, spread out through the Citadel as though searching for something. 

The surviving intruders didn’t appear to have any intention of speaking but that would change eventually. Cor toyed with the idea of allowing Sylva some time with one of the intruders and see what would happen but it didn’t last long as he decided that doing so would be cruel even by his standards.

The group arrived at the Infirmary not long after Sylva and Lance did. The place was busy as the Citadel doctors and nurses dealt with the various injuries from the night’s events. Sitting curled up on himself in a corner was the prince, hands still stained in Prompto’s blood, with Ignis, now bearing a cast on his left wrist, trying to coax the trembling boy into at least cleaning up a bit. ‘’Noctis!’’ The king headed straight for his son followed closely by his royal adviser while his Shield looked around the room, searching for his own son.

Noctis finally looked up at the sound of his father’s voice, his eyes holding a far-away look that betrayed his state of mind. Ignis moved out of the way respectfully as he watched the King kneel down in front of his son just in time to receive Noctis in his arms. Ignis’s Uncle approached softly and laid a hand on his nephew’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze before inquiring about his health. Ignis rested his uninjured hand on his Uncle’s, ‘’I will survive.’’ The young man tried to keep his voice steady but his Uncle could detect the slight waver of worry and shame that was there.

They both moved a bit away to allow the King and his son some privacy. Cor had stayed back, his eyes marking every bruise and injury marring the children in his memory, his anger burning brighter with every new mark he saw and every shaking movement of the Prince half hidden in his father’s embrace. It didn’t take long for Cor to find Prompto’s parents, talking with a doctor in front of the doors leading to the pre-operation rooms. The Marshall hesitated on what to do as he watched the surrounding chaos.

He was feeling quite lost, in the end the decision was made for him as Clarus approached and stood beside him. ‘’The King will be staying here for a while, Prince Noctis is adamant about waiting until Gladio and the other boy are out of the operating rooms before doing anything. Someone needs to deals with the intruders, the guards and the press.’’ The Shield’s gaze was heavy on Cor who shifted uneasily before nodding, ‘’I’ll deal with it.‘’ Cor’s eyes were dragged towards the young prince for a few moments before a hand landed on his shoulder. ‘’Thank you, Ignis told me you saved his life.’’ The hand belonged to Ventus Scientia who had followed Clarus to talk with Cor.

The man didn’t wait for an answer before continuing, ‘’I will accompany you, Ignis’ injury aren’t severe and he has asked to remain by the Prince’s side until they learn of the other boys state.’’ Cor stared at him in surprise before shaking his head, ‘’I was unable to prevent their injuries and forced Ignis to further injure himself and you are thanking me?’’ His voice held a measure of disbelief. 

Ventus and Clarus shared a look before Clarus clapped Cor on his back, ‘’Sometime I forget how young you still are compared to the rest of us. Their injuries weren’t your fault, if you hadn’t gotten to them as quickly as you did then things would have been much worse for everyone.’’ It was obvious to the older men that their companion didn’t really believe what Clarus had just said but they also knew that Cor would have to figure things out by himself.

Cor looked down to his feet for a moment before asking, ‘’Can you let me know when you have news of the boys?’’ Clarus nodded, ‘’Of course. I’ll send you both any news I get as soon as I can.’’ With those words, Ventus and Cor left the infirmary to deal with the many details that always followed any kind of disturbance in the Citadel. 

Sylva hadn’t waited for her husband or the guard that had spent most of the evening with them; she knew where the infirmary was from her time as a nursing student. She arrived quickly to the main area and spotted several doctors she knew and had worked with in the Insomnian hospitals around the city. ‘’Doctor Amaret!’’ She called out to the closest of them, the doctor turning around with an expression of surprised on her face.

‘’Sylva? What are you doing here?’’ The nurse waited until she was in front of the doctor before answering, a bit breathless, ‘’My son has been brought here with the Prince and his retinue. The blond boy, Prompto.’’ Dr. Amaret’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she answered, ‘’I see, he was sent straight to surgery. If you can give me his information, I’ll send it to the surgeon immediately.’’

Lance had arrived and moved to stand by his wife, having heard the last part of the doctor’s word. Sylva nodded, ‘’Of course, Prompto’s blood is AB negative; he was injured 8 days ago on the upper right arm and has been on antibiotics to prevent infections since. He is the same age as Prince Noctis.’’ Lance stood by his wife as she detailed all of Prompto’s medical information to the doctor and the nurse taking notes beside them. When she was done, the nurse hurried into an adjoining room and Prompto’s parents were brought to the post op waiting room. 

It took an hour before any news came with Gladiolus Amiticia being wheeled out of the Operating Room and pass the couple. Dr Amaret stopped to talk with them quickly; Prompto was going to survive his injuries though whether there had been any damage to the boy’s spine remained to be seen. The surgeons were finishing up the stitches and their son should be out within the next half hour. Lance thanked the doctor, hugging his wife as he returned his attention to the door leading to the OR.

Clarus had been standing by Regis and Noctis since Cor and Ventus had left, keeping an eye out on Ignis on top of the royal family and any signs of his son. He sent a quick message to Jared, his family butler about the situation at the Citadel and promised the long-time servant to tell him any news of Gladiolus’ condition as soon as he knew more. When his son was wheeled out of the OR, a nurse found him and gave the group a report on his son’s condition.

Gladiolus had broken his sternum and several ribs, the blow to his chest strong enough to cause a bone shard to separate from his sternum and nick his lungs leading to a pneumothorax. The boy had required surgery to remove the shard and treat the nearly collapsed lung. Gladiolus was on oxygen for the moment and would likely remain on it until his lung had recovered enough to satisfy the doctors.

Noctis visibly relaxed for a moment at the news that Gladiolus would be alright before asking about Prompto. The nurse could unfortunately not tell him anything about the other boy but promised to see what she could find before returning to her job, leaving the royal group to make its way to where Gladiolus was being kept under watch until he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pneumothorax: when air is trapped between the lungs and skin/muscle within the chest area.
> 
> edited


	13. Waking up

Prompto was wheeled out of the operating room about 45 minutes after Gladio emerged, his bed surrounded by 3 nurses and the surgeon while they kept a close watch on his vital signs. Sylva rose and joined the other nurses as soon as she saw them, looking down at her boy so still and pale in the hospital bed.

Lance joined her as they walked towards the post op recovery room, the surgeon spoke up, ‘’Mr and Mrs Argentum?’’ Lance nodded, the surgeon continued, ‘’I am Dr. Hilan, I performed the surgery on your son. He had a large penetrating injury caused by a dagger to his lower back. It lodged itself at the very edge of his spine. We have no way of knowing whether the injury has caused any damage to his spinal cord due to the amount of movement he endured while their group fled the attack. Prompto lost a significant amount of blood and had to receive several blood transfusions before we could stabilize his condition.’’

‘’We were able to stop the bleeding and close the laceration with minimal trouble once he had stabilized enough to endure the procedure, I don’t expect any complications due to the surgery but I would caution you to be prepared for the possibility of your son being unable to walk from now on.’’ The doctor oversaw the nurses place Prompto under monitoring beside Gladiolus before turning his attention back to the parents. ‘’Are there any questions?’’

Sylva turned to the doctor and asked, ‘’How long before he wakes up?’’ One of the nurses replied for the doctor, ‘’About 30 minutes for the anesthetic to finish wearing off, though we might have to give him some sedative or painkillers if he is too agitated when he does.’’ The doctor waited for a few more minutes to confirm whether any other questions would be asked before leaving the continued care of his patient to the nurses. Lance found 2 chairs nearby and brought them to his son’s bedside, gently guiding his wife to sit down before taking his own seat.

On the other side of the curtain, Gladiolus had just woken up surrounded by his father, Ignis and the royal family. Pain radiated across his chest in waves at every breath causing him to groan as he opened his eyes. It took a few seconds before his sight cleared up enough to make out the details of his surrounding starting by the worried face of his father. ‘’Gladio, can you hear me?’’ the big man whispered softly as he watched his son struggle to meet his gaze, the anesthetic still enough to make anything requiring concentration hard for the boy.

Gladio swallowed, his mouth feeling dry before answering in a raspy voice, ‘’Father? What happened...’’ He didn’t finish his thought as Noctis appeared in his view, he looked exhausted and on the verge of tears. Gladio jerked up or tried too but the slightest movement had him collapsing back on the bed as pain flared up once more. Clarus swore under his breath as he motioned Ignis to go get a nurse before returning his attention to his son. ‘’Easy now, you just came out of surgery. Try not to move.’’ He kept talking until a nurse arrived to check up on her patient now that he was awake.

Gladiolus tried to do as his father said but every breath made the pain worse and his body was unbearably sore. He barely noticed Noctis being dragged into the King’s embrace or the arrival of the nurse, it wasn’t until a cold sensation started crawling through his veins that the pain faded enough for him to catch his breath and open his eyes again. The nurse was leaning over him with a soft smile, ‘’Is that better?’’ she asked.

Gladiolus nodded the best he could, his body relaxing now that he could no longer feel the overwhelming pain. ‘’Good. I am your nurse Phina. I’m going to ask you a few questions and ask you to do a few things ok?’’ she waited for Gladiolus to answer with another small tired nod before continuing, ‘’Let me know if it hurts or feels uncomfortable.’’ She proceeded to do her assessment while explaining what she did for both his benefice and that of the group still surrounding the young boy.

By the time the nurse was done, Gladiolus remembered what had happened over the evening and had been told what he had missed since he had passed out after Cor’s arrival. Noctis had kept quiet while Clarus and his father explained what was going on but as soon as they were done, he blurted out, ‘’I’m sorry Gladio!’’ Gladio looked at the prince in surprise, ‘’It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t snuck out then no one would have been hurt!’’

The Prince’s body was tense, his head hanging down not daring to look at his injured shield. Ignis reached out with a murmured, ‘’Your highness…’’ while Clarus and Regis frowned in worry. Gladiolus was a bit lost for words and before he could figure out how to respond to the young prince, King Regis responded in his stead. ‘’Noctis, while you are correct that you shouldn’t have left your room without an escort so late at night, it is NOT your fault. You did not cause the injuries that happened tonight.’’

The king turned Noctis around to meet his eyes properly before continuing, ‘’Gladiolus is your Shield, it is his duty to protect you when you are in danger. ‘’ Gladiolus nodded and finally spoke up, ‘’It is my honor and pride to ensure your safety, your highness. It shames me that I was not able to protect you better.’’ His own gaze dropped down to his feet as he remembered how powerless he had been in front of the Intruder. Gladio felt a familiar hand drop on his arm softly and looked up to see his father with a small but prideful smile on his face. ‘’You did what you could, Ignis and Cor told us what happened. There is no shame in surviving a fight with a stronger enemy.’’ Clarus said with Regis nodding along.

The King smiled down on his son then turned Gladiolus and told him, ‘’I am grateful for your efforts in keeping my son safe, both of you.’’ He turned his gaze to the other boy, standing right beside Noctis. Ignis blushed slightly before bowing to him. ‘’Now I believe you promised to kept the others updated on Gladiolus’ condition.’’ King Regis stated to his own Shield. Clarus nodded, taking out his phone to contact Cor, Ventus and Jared with the news of Gladiolus’ awakening. 

Noctis shyly approached his friend’s bed and slowly reached out to take Gladio’s hand in his own, leaning over to whisper. ‘’Get better quickly ok?’’ The prince looked up to Gladio who chuckled, wincing a bit at the movement before the injured boy replied, ‘’Of course your highness, can’t have you missing any more training then necessary.’’ Noctis pouted at him with a mock glare while Ignis hid his own smile behind his uninjured hand.

‘’Shall we go see how Prompto is doing?’’ Ignis asked Noctis after a few more minutes of staying with Gladio. Noctis hesitated as he looked over at his father. ‘’Go ahead.’’ Said the king with a nod, Gladio frowned and asked Noctis, ‘’Go see the kid then come back and tell me how he is, alright?’’ Noctis nodded and followed Ignis over to where Prompto had been brought, his mother sitting on the edge of his bed softly brushing his blond hair. Prompto’s eyes were fluttering and he was muttering in pain. Sylva leaned down to whisper sweet nothings in his ear, trying to help Prompto wake up safely. Lance was holding unto his son’s small hand in his own. It was him who noticed the Prince’s arrival. ‘’Your highness. ’’ He acknowledges the young boy who was approaching slowly with his silent shadow.

Prince Noctis hesitated before asking softly, ‘’How’s Prompto doing?’’ Sylva glanced over before returning her attention to her son, allowing her husband to deal with the prince without her. Lance motioned the prince to approach with one hand before answering, ‘’He is starting to wake up. The doctor expects him to recover without trouble.’’ Noctis allowed a small smile to show up on his face before returning to his usual expression and then frowned as Lance continued, ‘’He may have suffered some spinal injury from his injury and when he had to be moved but we won’t know until he wakes up properly.’’

Ignis paled as he listened to Prompto’s father telling them how Prompto was doing, he remembered the feeling of blood running down his arms when he had picked up Prompto to run out of the smoky room. Lance picked up on the change of Ignis’ expression quickly and offered reassurance, ‘’It wasn’t your fault, neither of you are at fault. I’m happy that you all survived and Prompto will be fine no matter what. We’ll help him deal with whatever happens.’’ Ignis nodded, his lips pressed tightly against each other.

‘’I’ll help too!’’ Declared Noctis, drawing a surprised look from Lance and a snort from Sylva. ‘’You can all stay here until Prompto get better and if he needs anything I’ll make sure he gets it.’’ Noctis decided, he wouldn’t change his mind. It was because of him that Prompto got hurt and that meant that the blond boy was now his responsibility. Ignis smiled at Noctis in approval but before either him or Lance could say anything, they heard Sylva say, ‘’Good morning love, can you understand me?’’

Prompto opened his eyes, sight blurry without his glasses and from the anesthetic effect, his mother’s eyes being the one clear thing in his sight. He moaned in pain as his body pulsed with it starting from a point at the center of his back. A nurse approached quickly and Prompto underwent the same assessment as Gladiolus had dealt with a few minutes ago. 

Prompto was confused by the questions and movement, his memories coming back slower then Gladiolus’ had but seeing Noctis and Ignis helped a lot. His parents kept touching him to comfort him especially when their son winced in pain. It wasn’t until the nurse asked Prompto to move his legs that the room fell silent waiting to see what happened next. ‘’I… I can’t feel my legs…’’ Prompto panicked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to make this into a series divided into Prompto's childhood, his teenage years and finally the events of the game as changed by the effects of Prompto's unusual ability. By my estimate the childhood arc is about half way done but it might be longer then expected depending on where my writing goes.
> 
> Thanks again for everyone reading this and leaving comments and kudos!  
> edited


	14. Information recovery

Prompto was freaking out, his breath coming in short fluttering gasp as his mind repeated the same thing over and over again. He couldn’t feel his legs! He was barely aware of his mother leaning in, touching his face and trying to grab his attention with soft words and reassurances, or of his father trying to do the same on the opposite side of the bed. He didn’t hear as Prince Noctis demanded the nurse to do something about it, or to see how pale Ignis had become at his words.

He felt the nurse touch his hand and then something cold slip into his vein before a feeling of unnatural calmness settled in his mind. He was finally able to hear his mom whisper, ‘’It’s going to be ok Prom, just relax, we’re here. We’re not going anywhere.’’ and feel his father holding his hand tightly as he discussed with a doctor that had appeared in his room. The doctor was gesturing about something but because of whatever the nurse had given him; Prompto couldn’t understand what was being said.

Time slipped by as he let himself be held by his mother, his mind slowly piecing together what had happened. Prompto remembered sneaking out of his room after seeing someone, Ignis his mind provided slowly, following the prince on the roof tops. He remembered being pinned down by an older boy, Gladiolus, and meeting the prince for a second time. 

His memories blurred a bit after that, he remembered holding the prince’s hand and entering a room. He remembered feeling panicked and then pain before blacking out. His mother had tried to explained that he had gotten his back injured and that was why he could feel or move his legs at the moment but Prompto was just too out of it to fully understand what she had told him.

‘’I’m sorry.’’ Prompto muttered, hiding his face in his mother’s arms. Sylva shook her head, ‘’It wasn’t your fault. You have nothing to be sorry about. Just next time, please tell us instead of running off like that. Your father and I were terrified for you….’’ Prompto nodded against her then lifted his eyes to glance at the Prince and the older boy, Ignis. ‘’Are you two ok?’’ He asked.

Noctis nodded, biting his lips before he slowly approached Prompto, followed by Ignis who answered, ‘’Thank you for saving his Highness earlier. That was very brave of you.’’ Prompto blushed slightly, resisting the urge to hide his face again in order to glance around for the other boy that had been with them. ‘’Where is the other guy? Gladiolus right?’’ This time the prince was the one to answer from where he stood beside Prompto’s bed.

‘’He had to get surgery like you but he’s ok now….’’ Prompto looked a bit lost before smiling, ‘’That’s good then. I’m glad everyone is going to be ok.’’ ‘’IT’S NOT GOOD!’’ The shout came as a surprise to everyone including Noctis himself, biting his lips and looking downwards before he forced himself to continue, whispering. ‘’You got hurt protecting me. You aren’t supposed to get hurt. You’re just a civilian, you aren’t like Ignis or Gladio. It’s not your job to protect me. So why? Why didn’t you just run!’’

Prompto meet the Prince’s red rimmed eyes in shock even as his mother movement to put herself between the prince and Prompto. She addressed the boy evenly, ‘’If you can’t keep your voice down then I suggest you leave. My son needs his rest, not to be shouted at regardless of your intentions.’’ Her voice held a stern edge to it and she watched carefully as the prince almost seemed to curl up on himself. She wasn’t the only who noticed the movement as Lance moved closer while keeping his hand on Prompto’s. Prompto was quicker then both of them though as he tried to push himself off the bed, forgetting about his legs or his injuries until the pain hit him making him shout and fall back on the bed.

That brought everyone’s attention back to him rather than the prince as he panted harshly, lying on his sore back with his free hand on his forehead. The doctor stepped up, ‘’I believe this is enough for the moment. Your Highness, please leave. There is much work to be done and you will simply be in the way.’’ Prince Noctis nodded, his face worried as he glanced at Prompto before he left. Ignis bowed towards the Argentum family in silent apology before hurrying after his charge, both making their way back to where Gladiolus was resting.

As the Prince left, the nurses helped Prompto lean back more comfortably unto the bed. Sylva sighed as she retook her place by her son and spoke with the doctor, ‘’I assume that a MRI will be done.’’ The doctor nodded, ‘’Yes, unfortunately the Citadel is not equipped with it and your son will have to be transferred over to the Children’s hospital for further treatments.’’ Lance asked, ‘’When will that be?’’ The reply came quickly, ‘’In an hour, everything will be ready by the time you arrive at the hospital.’’

The hour passed by quickly as the nurses worked to prepare Prompto for the transfer. His mother stayed with him throughout the trip while his father would be brought to the hospital later with Prompto’s clothes and other personal effects. The MRI was taken without complication though Prompto had panicked initially as he was put into the tight confines of the humming machine. It had taken another dose of the medicine he had first received when he had panicked earlier before he was calm enough to go through the procedure with his mother talking him through it.

After the MRI, the family was brought to a private room and assured that the Crown would pay for the expense. Prompto fell asleep soon after arriving at the room, the past hour had been exhausting and his body still recovering from his injury and the surgery. Sylva joined him on the bed and in sleep not long afterwards.

In the castle, Cor had received Clarus’ message about Gladiolus and then Prompto getting out of surgery. He couldn’t help a sigh of relief as he read through it, knowing that Gladiolus would be alright with time and rest but was still worried about Prompto as Clarus had very little information other than the boy getting out of surgery safely. He wasn’t able to worry much more than that as he was kept busy by Ventus and the Crownguards.

The Marshall had to see that all the intruders were separated and underwent an initial interrogation for any information they could get from the men. As he had expected from a group of obvious professionals, they learnt nothing. The intruders had no identifying mark or clothing, no jewelry or tags of any kind which could have indicated who had ordered them to invade the Crown City and its Citadel. 

Questions about the only Intruder that had escaped also lead to nowhere as all of the captured intruders showed surprise at the information of another man working with them. Cor frowned, ‘’A third party?’’ he turned to Ventus in concern, ‘’That is quite possible. The Intruder you fought did seem to be after the Scourge boy after all.’’ Cor glared at Ventus at his name for Prompto. Ventus inclined his head in apology and corrected himself, ‘’The Argentum boy.’’ Satisfied for the moment, Cor turned his attention to the screens displaying each interrogation room.

‘’I don’t think we’ll get anywhere for the moment. Let’s get them settled in for the night, under close guard.’’ Cor ordered before groaning as the beginning of a headache made itself known to the sleep deprived man. Ventus chuckled, ‘’Very well, I will finish with the press so why don’t you go report to his majesty on what we have learnt so far.’’ Cor glanced at the man beside him, ‘’Of course, hello your Majesty, I am here to inform you we have no idea what happened, why the intruders invaded the Citadel nor how they were able to obtain the schedule for this night’s guards.’’ He sighed, ‘’That will go over well with him and Clarus.’’ Ventus chuckled and patted his back in sympathy. ‘’Good luck.’’

Cor watched the royal adviser leave before turning his attention back to the screens, he only waited long enough to see that the intruders were properly brought to separate cells before making his way towards the infirmary. As he approached the infirmary, he noticed a door closing behind a group of people but he was too far away to make out who it was. Feeling uneasy, he hurried towards the post-op recovery room and quickly found Clarus and Regis sitting beside Gladiolus’ bed.

Regis gave him a tired smile as the Marshall approached, ‘’I sent Noctis and Ignis away to get some rest. How are things?’’ Cor saluted his king quickly, gaze staying mostly on the sleeping boy in the bed. Clarus readjusted the blanket around his son and answered, ‘’Gladio will be fine. You saved him so don’t worry about the rest.’’ Cor shifted uneasily before sighing. ‘’Easy to say, hard to do. I feel like I let both of you down…’’ He shook his head a bit then answered the king’s previous question. 

‘’Everything has settled down in the Citadel, Ventus is finishing with the press that arrived earlier but otherwise there was no other injury then what was reported initially and no casualty. The Intruders haven’t said anything that could indicate their allegiance nor have we found anything that would give us an idea of who ordered them here.’’ Cor stopped for a second before continuing, ‘’The only thing we did learn is that the Intruder that the boys fought against was unknown to the others. Possibly a third party who took advantage of the situation for their own goals.’’

Regis nodded with a frown as he said, ‘’I feared as much.’’ Clarus sighed moving back to his son’s bedside. ‘’In that case, there isn’t much point in staying up any longer.’’ He looked at Regis then Cor, ‘’You both need to get some rest. I’m staying here until Gladiolus can return home or until Jared arrives with Iris. If anything happens I’ll deal with it.’’ He spoke with a tone that told them that Clarus would not take no for an answer. 

Regis simply chuckled and bid his old friend goodnight before leaving to check up on his own son. Cor stayed for a little longer in the area as he tried finding out what had happened to Prompto. When he learnt of the transfer and that Lance was still in the building, Cor headed out to find the man and offered to drive him over to meet up with his wife. The 2 man arrived shortly after Sylva had nodded off and made themselves comfortable before falling asleep as well. Cor was the last one to do so, his emotions still buzzing around and his last thought were of sending someone to verify the state of Galdin Quai’s hospital security.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	15. Good news

As morning came and went without any news; Cor woke up to a whispered conversation between Sylva and Lance while Prompto continued to sleep on peacefully. He got up from the chair he was occupying and stretched sore muscles caused by sleeping in a chair. Cor had woken up throughout the night, a hand on his sword, every time the door opened and a nurse checked in on the small family resulting in very little actual sleep.

By the time Prompto woke up near midday, Sylva had left with a determined gait to go seek answers herself, leaving Lance to watch over their son with Cor. It was a rough woke up call for the boy who spent the first half hour of his waking day in a panic as the last 24h came crashing back on him. Cor sat on one side of the boy with Lance on the other, trying to comfort the child into a less frantic state of mind while waiting for a nurse to get the doctor’s permission to give Prompto something to help calm him down.

They had just managed to get Prompto to relax and allow the nurse to give him his medication when Sylva walked back in, almost dragging an older man behind her, followed by a younger woman wheeling some equipment with her. ‘’Good morning Prompto, how are you feeling?’’ Sylva asked as she approached her son and kissed his forehead. Prompto hugged her in reply, breathe still shaky and rough despite his father and honorary uncle’s best efforts. Sylva hummed and slowly rubbed Prompto’s back, calmly introducing the two persons she had dragged into the room.

‘’This is doctor Alan Helmin, I worked with him before and he’s been kind enough to take a look at your MRI since no one else had time to do so.’’ Her last few words was bitter, while she understood the reality of working in the health system, it still irked her whenever the lack of doctors and nurses impacted the well-being of people under her care. The doctor smiled, and dragged a seat in front of Prompto’s bed. Lance smiled, pressing his own kiss to Prompto’s head in comfort before asking, ‘’Thank you Doctor. What are the results?’’ He had a bit of an idea since Sylva seemed happy.

Doctor Helmin chuckled and answered, looking at Prompto directly and explained the results to the young boy directly, ‘’You will be able to walk again.’’ He stopped for a moment to allow Prompto to absorb the words properly before continuing. ‘’The dagger grazed your spine, not enough to cause permanent damage but it did have enough force to move your spine just enough to pinch the nerve there. The surgery wasn’t intended to correct the problem and the inflammation from the surgery combined with the shift is what is keeping you from moving your legs at the moment.’’ Cor sighed in relief as he listened to the doctor and watched as Prompto finally smiled as the doctor talked, ‘’So I’ll be able to run again?’’ the boy asked with tears of relief in his eyes.

It was the other person in the room who answered that question, ‘’Not anytime soon but I would say absolutely; as long as you don’t overdo things and reinjure yourself.’’ The woman smiled as she came to stand behind the doctor and introduced herself, ‘’I am Jillian Tisha, a physiotherapist. I help people get stronger after accidents or surgeries until they can go back to living as they did. ‘’ Prompto nodded, feeling some excitement fill his body as the fear of never being able to run and get better left his mind. It was still there but not as overwhelming as before.

Lance and Sylva shared a look before hugging their son between them. Sylva shot Cor an amused look as the Marshall offered his own small smile of happiness at the news. The doctor allowed them to absorb the news unhindered and waited until they had recovered before continuing, ‘’It will be a long recovery and painful but you will be able to recover and return to how you were before Prompto. There are chances of continued problems even after you recover but as long as you do your best and listen to your therapists then you should be alright.’’

Prompto frowned and half afraid, asked, ‘’Problems?’’ Once again the physiotherapist answered him, ‘’I took a look at your MRI and the most common trouble from injuries like yours is infrequent pain from overexertion. In other words, on some days your back is going to hurt because you’ve been moving around a lot or doing something that would irritate your back. Sometimes, injuries like yours react to weather but not often.’’ She smiled reassuringly to the boy. Prompto smiled up to his parents in relief and then leaned forward carefully to look over at Cor.

Cor smiled back at the boy, hoping to offer some measure of comfort, ‘’So what now?’’ he addressed the question to no one in particular and after a moment Sylva spoke up, ‘’For now, Prompto needs to finish recovering from the surgery before he starts any of the physiotherapy then we’ll see how we’ll arrange for the therapy.’’ Cor got up, this was at least something he could help with. He offered to the Argentum, ‘’I’ll talk with the King, you are all still considered guests of the royal family. We’ll arrange for anything required for Prompto’s recovery.’’

Lance replied, ‘’We do not wish to impose on the king’s generosity more than necessary.’’ Cor shook his head and explained, ‘’As far as I’m concerned, Prompto’s injury was a result of the Crownguards incompetence and my own, it’s our duty to help him recover in any way possible. We still haven’t found much information concerning Prompto’s health nor why someone would be after your son.’’ The reminder of the Intruder and his stare made Prompto tense up. 

Cor reacted swiftly, ‘’I’ll give you a personal guard until we figure things out Prompto. I won’t fail you again.’’ He ignored Sylva’s glare and Lance’s sigh, knowing that he would be told once more about how the night’s event wasn’t his fault but at the moment he wanted to concentrate on helping Prompto feel safe. With that offer made, Cor left the room and called Regis to update the king on the latest news. He also called Rhane to see if they had received any new information overnight.

In the room, Sylva scowled at Cor’s retreating back but refocused her attention to the doctor and physiotherapist once he had left, ‘’You said that you wanted to check a few things to get a baseline before making a plan for Prompto’s recovery?’’ Sylva asked Jillian, who nodded and motioned towards the equipment she had brought with her into the room. ‘’It’s nothing hard nor painful. I’m going to measure how your body is receiving instructions from your brain. I’ll ask you to try and move different body parts once I set up the machine. Is that ok?’’ She addressed Prompto and waited for his answer before starting to set things up.

Sylva and Lance moved out of the way, moving to continue talking with Doctor Helmin about the details of Prompto’s condition and his expected recovery time while the physiotherapist did her job. Prompto was exhausted by the time the doctor and physiotherapist left the room, Sylva insisting he stays awake long enough to eat some soup before falling back into a restful sleep with his parents watching over him. 

As they watched, side by side, drawing comfort from each other, Lance whispered to his wife, ‘’Are you still determined to do that?’’ Sylva leaned over to kiss him and replied gently, ‘’Yes, even more now. I am Prompto’s mother first but I am also a nurse with a research degree and I can’t, in good conscious, not look into the possibility. It won’t be now but once Prompto is stronger I’ll talk with him about doing it.’’ Lance sighed and dragged his wife into a tight hug, whispering, ‘’I love you even when you are being stubborn.’’ Sylva chuckled and teased him, ‘’Not because of it?’’ Lance didn’t answer as he gazed at his peaceful son.

Further down the hall, Cor was listening intently as Rhane gave him a report of the latest information they had gotten. His face was filled with fury as he restrained his desire to shout. ‘’Are you absolutely sure about this?’’ ‘’Yes, Dave confirmed it himself.’’ Replied his second in command then repeated her report. ‘’Last night, a black out occurred at Galdin Quai, allowing Daemons to enter the city and attack the citizens. The hunters did their best but some of the daemons made their way into the hospital and killed many of the staff and patients there. Their information system was also destroyed and the doctors and nurses that were involved with Prompto Argentum’s case were among the dead. There is no way of knowing if any information was leaked or stolen before or during the attack.’’

Cor growled and gave his orders, ‘’Tell the King! I’m staying as Argentum’s personal guard until things settle down. There are too many coincidences to simply ignore. If he needs me, he can call. Do what you need to get information out of the Intruders, we need to find out if there was a leak and where it comes from. Increase the guards at the city gates, get Drautos to send Glaives if you need to.’’ He waited only long enough to get a confirmation from Rhane before hanging up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edited


	16. First session

The next week passed by too slowly and yet all too fast. It was a week of daily tests with Jillian. A week of nightly nightmares after his body recovered from the initial exhaustion. The nightmare prevented Prompto and whoever was with him in the room from getting much sleep. It always took a while for Prompto to recover from his nightmare though Sylva and Lance noticed that their son seemed to do better if Cor was around, which he was more often than not.

Since the attack on the Citadel, Cor had spent almost every minute by Prompto’s side except for the few instances where Sylva got tired of his reluctance to go eat or rest and would drag the man away. Prompto had been confused the first time it had happened since his mother came back only and Cor showed up in a near panic half a day later.   
The only thing he got out of his parents when he asked about it happening was a muttered, ‘’I told him I’d tie him down if he tried to get up…..’’ from his mother followed by the amused laughter of his father.

Gladiolus and Clarus had dropped by to visit Prompto once when Gladiolus was sent to the hospital for a scan of his own to verify the state of his healing. Gladiolus had bowed as much as his injured chest could allow and apologized to Prompto for not being able to protect the young boy.

Prompto had protested and offered his own apologies for getting in the way and not being able to help the older boy fight against the Intruder. It had taken both Sylva and Clarus to step in before the duo of children stopped trading an ever increasing series of apologies.

It was also the first real meeting of the Argentum family and the Amiticia family; Cor looked at it developing with horror as he realized what he had done by introducing his childhood friend to the King’s Shield. He found himself sending the six a prayer for the safety and sanity of his king once Prompto was no longer confined to bed and the hospital.   
Lance kept the Marshall company while watching his wife befriend the patriarch of the Amiticia just as his son was kept busy by Gladiolus making plans for morning jogging once Prompto was back up on his feet.

Other than the Amiticia men, Prompto received no personal visitor. Several of his mother’s co-workers showed up to talk with her and a few of his father’s employees did the same but none of them really talked with Prompto, simply wishing him a rapid recovery before speaking business or work with his parents. 

Prompto found himself feeling useless and worthless whenever that happened as he was reminded that if it wasn’t for him, his parents would be busy at work and wouldn’t be exhausted or so worried. Cor noticed the change in his pseudo-nephew rapidly at those times and it was his turn to drag Sylva and then Lance off to tell them off about their attitude. Thankfully that put an end to those visits but it didn’t improve Prompto’s mood all that much.

The young boy was conflicted; on one side he couldn’t wait to be able to start his physio and work towards getting better and going back to jogging especially with the idea of having a running partner who knew what he was doing in Gladiolus. On the other side, he couldn’t help but worry about the possibility that the doctor and Jillian were wrong. What if he wouldn’t get better? What if he would never be able to walk? What would he do then?

By the time his first session with Jillian arrived, Prompto was a coiled mess of stress and exhaustion. He had forbidden his parents from coming with him, not wanting to see their disappointment when he inevitably failed. His parents tried to talk him out of going alone, trying to convince him to allow them into the rehab room but Prompto wouldn’t hear any of it.

Cor waited until the fuss had died down and convinced both worried parents to go grab something to eat and rest a bit, and leaving Prompto to him. He spent the time talking with Prompto, telling him stories, carefully changed to be appropriate for the boy, stories about his missions and his own injuries. He might be known as The Immortal, a name he hates until the first time Prompto speaks it in utter reference, but it didn’t mean he always escaped uninjured.

By the time Sylva and Lance walked back in, Prompto seemed less worried but still insistent about not having them around but now for a different reason. ‘’I want to be able to concentrate on what Miss Jillian will do. I can’t do that if I worry about how you’ll both react. So please? Cor will be with me…’’ the boy begged. The parents shared a sad look before finally agreeing to it.

As Prompto was helped unto a wheelchair by Jillian and Cor, the boy tried to smile at his parents but could only do so after Cor grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. The group made it way to the rehabilitation section of the hospital. Prompto looked around seeing various equipment lying around. There were a few other patients working throughout the room but Prompto is brought by Jillian to a private room at the back and then helped up unto another bed.

‘’So what do I have to do?’’ He asks nervously. Jillian smiled at the nervous boy, ‘’ For now, we’ll start easily. I’m going to move your legs one at the time through a series of movements. I want you to try and help me through those movements as much as you can. Do you think you can do that for me Prompto?’’ 

Prompto nodded and shot a glance at Cor, leaning against a wall beside his head. Cor smiled, carefully passing a few fingers through the boy’s hair, ‘’I’m right here if you need me.’’ Prompto’s smile is watery, hesitant but still blinding to the Marshall ‘’Ok Uncle.’’

It’s an hour before Prompto is returned to his room, exhausted and racked with painful cramps but smiling. The pain is a good pain! Like after the first few times he went jogging, not to mention he could actually feel the pain in his legs. Prompto didn’t allow himself to think about his inability to move his legs at all even with Jillian’s help. The heavy limbs had been lax and unresponsive despite all of Prompto’s tries. 

Cor opened the door to the room and stilled as he noticed a movement at the very edge of his vision. The men stationed at each side of the corridor had told him that Sylva and Lance had gone out for a brief walk and no one else had entered the room since but Cor still cleared the room himself before allowing Prompto in.

He was surprised to find a package with a letter sitting on the bedside table and frowned. Picking it up, he relaxed at seeing the writing on the front. He motioned for Prompto and Jillian to come in before sending a quick text to confirm his suspicions. Helping the physio get Prompto back on his bed safely allowed him the time to receive a reply and after waiting for Jillian to leave, Cor turned over to Prompto.

The boy was half asleep already, shifting slightly to lean on Cor when the older man sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘’I know you’re tired Prompto but you have a gift waiting for you.’’ That drew a sleepy mumble from the boy as he opened his eyes. Cor chuckled, tugging the child more comfortably towards him, he extended the package and the letter.   
Prompto takes a stunned look at the gilded letter envelop, bearing the crest of Lucis’ Royal family in gold printing and practically steals the package from Cor. He hesitates before carefully opening the letter, not wanting to break the red wax seal sealing the envelop. Prompto read through the letter 3 times before he can set it down. It reads:

_Dear Prompto,_

_I offer you my sincerest apologies for all the trouble I have caused you on that night and hope you find it in you to forgive me. Gladiolus, my Shield and Weapon Trainer, has deemed it necessary to tell me that today was your first session with your physiotherapist and I find myself remembering my own such sessions a few years ago._

_As I remember the pain and excitement that came with the session, I thought it best to gift you a small token of appreciation for your noble sacrifice and as an encouragement for your future sessions._

_Thank you once more for what you have done for me and the Kingdom of Lucis,_

_Noctis Lucis Caelum,_   
_Heir to the throne of Lucis._

_P.S. I’m really sorry for not being able to protect you. As the prince that’s my job, to protect the citizens of Lucis._

Prompto feels tear slide down his cheeks in shock and a warm feeling fill his chest. It reminded him of a similar letter not too long ago from a different Royal. Cor smiles at the boy before nudging the package. ‘’Are you going to open it or not?’’ Prompto nods enthusiastically, this time being less careful about opening the package. It’s a somewhat heavy box, lifting the top off and handing it to Cor, Prompto carefully moves the paper hiding the gifts inside. On the very top of the box, is a series of 3 books. The series of the King’s Knights was a well-loved book series that had spread throughout Insomnia over the last few years. 

The final book of the trilogy wasn’t even out at this time and yet Prompto found himself starring at the last installment of the book. In a small corner of his mind, he couldn’t help but notice that the first 2 books had a well-worn spine from repeated readings.

He placed the books aside with Cor’s help, shifted the next layer of paper off and took out the next thing in the box; a black and gold photography book. Prompto slowly opened it, finding the inside to be a matching color and style, each page having adjustable corners that would allow Prompto to put any size or number of photographs within it for safe keeping. 

Feeling overwhelmed, Prompto had to hide his face on his Uncle’s chest for a few minutes, long enough for his parents to return and for Cor to explain the situation to the worried duo before he could manage to get to the last gift. It was a delicate letter box, filled with gold gilded empty letter and similar gilded paper. The box even contained a good quality pen. As Prompto fumbled around with the box, a small piece of paper fell on his lap.

Cor picked it up and traded it for the gifts. Prompto had a bit of trouble reading what was written on it. The writing was fancy and quite beautiful but the style made it hard for Prompto to read. Sylva noticed that and offered to read the note for her son, she had plenty of experience deciphering all kinds of writing after all.

_Dear Prompto,_

_I have included this note with His Highness’ gift as I feel the need to offer my apologies to you and your family. My inability to protect you and the Prince when attacked has caused you much trouble and pain. It was after all, my dagger that injured you. I wish to inform you that I am quite willing to offer any help that you request from me should you so desire. Please feel free to inform me of any needs or desires while you recover and I shall see it done._

_At your service,_   
_Ignis Scientia._

Prompto’s was wordless as he listened to his mom read the note. He couldn’t understand why everyone seemed so hell bent on apologizing to him when he wasn’t worth it. He kept his thoughts to himself, even if he knew his new Uncle had probably already figured it out, and simply closed his eyes. The emotional high and fatigue from the day; probably from the week of sleepless nights allowed him to fall asleep and stay that way for the first night of pleasant dreams in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Idea of Sylva and Clarus getting along was inspired by my conversation with EricaHouse. Clarus is totally the mom friend and so is Sylva (plus she is a mom too )  
> Edited


	17. Hospital recovery

The next month passed by in a steady and organised manner, Gladiolus passed by with his father at least once every week to spend time with the Argentum family and allow Cor to feel comfortable enough to leave the hospital to return to the Citadel for a few short hours. 

Every third day, Prompto and Cor would go with Jillian to do his exercises before returning to their hospital room so that Prompto could rest comfortably and recover from the pain and exhaustion, both mental and physical, from the session. 

More often than not, they would find a letter and a small gift waiting for Prompto on his bed. Sometimes the letter was from Ignis, other times it was from the Prince and Prompto would always try to write back to each.

The shy boy would write then erase what he had witting several times before managing to allow Cor to send the letter off. No matter what Cor or his parents said, Prompto still felt like a waste of time and space even more so since he had become stuck in bed due to his injuries.

He felt awful for making his parents waste time to stay by his side while they could be doing their jobs and helping others. He had tried to convince his parents to go back to work, plastering a smile on his face after 2 weeks of seeing them stay by his side all the time.

Sylva had sighed and simply told her son that such a thing was out of the question, ‘’And besides, I told them I was quitting last week. They were trying to get me back to work and I was getting tired of them bothering me when the only thing that matters right now is you.’’ 

Lance had nodded sagely then kissed his son softly, ‘’I can do most of my work from here just as easily. I’m not going anywhere either.’’ Prompto had also gotten a similar declaration from Cor when Prompto had made the comment to the man. Cor had poked his forehead and simply stated, ‘’ You’re important to me and I’m not going anywhere until I’m absolutely sure you are safe.’’

After hearing those things from his family, Prompto finally allowed his mother to contact someone he could talk with to help deal with his mental state. Prompto still couldn’t move his legs but by the end of the month he had regained most of the feeling in his legs and was deemed fit to leave the hospital. 

When they had learnt of the plan for Prompto to finally leave the hospital, Clarus and Regis have a huge discussion on what to do next. Since the incident a month ago, they had been unable to find any information concerning neither the attack, its purpose nor why Prompto’s blood had such a severe case of Scourge plague without showing any signs of the plague itself.

Because of this, they had to decide whether to allow the small family to return to their own home in the lower part of Insomnia or whether they should insist for them to continue being under the care of the Royal family. 

The decision was left to the Argentum in the end, with the extension of a job offer for Sylva to be a live-in nurse at the Citadel with her family. Of course, Cor didn’t bother hiding the real reason for the job offer from his childhood friend to which Sylva was tempted to refuse just on principle.

Clarus was there for the conversation and couldn’t help but laugh at her outraged expression, ‘’Come on Sylva, we could have offered your husband a job as royal speech writer for the crown but your reputation at the Insomnia Hospital and your work with several of the staff from before their own arrival at the Citadel speaks for itself. We want you to work at the Citadel. It just so happens that your son is still being investigated for his unusual blood results. Not to mention the king feels somewhat in debt for Prompto’s role in saving his son.’’ 

The large man draped an arm over the smaller woman, ‘’Plus the Citadel is already equipped with all the equipment Prompto will ever need for his rehab and you won’t have to worry about traveling with him through the city.’’

Sylva sighed, shot a look at their children playing a game together with a soft smile. It was undeniable that Prompto’s meeting with Cor and his introduction to the Prince and his retinue had made significant changes in their life. Prompto was happier and slowly coming out of his shell. 

He had less bad days, days where it took everything to make him eat the smallest amount of food or days when he wouldn’t say a single word to anyone since the letters, gifts and visits had started. Decision made she turned to glare at both men, ‘’Very well I accept the position but on one condition. ‘’ She crossed her arms across her chest.

Cor and Clarus shared an amused glance tinted with a little bit of worry before Cor asked, ‘’What condition?’’ Sylva grinned, ‘’My husband gets a job at the Citadel too. One that doesn’t interfere with his own business.’’ 

Clarus laughed, ‘’Guess we did just propose a job for him.’’ Cor shook his head, ‘’Figures you’d drive a hard bargain. I’ll let Ventus know.’’ Sylva laughed and went back to announce the news to the rest of her family while Cor called up the royal adviser to arrange for a second job to be created.

The arrangement for their permanent move into the Citadel happened quickly, Cor making personal arrangement to have people go with Lance to their home. They pack everything they own to be moved into a section of the Citadel reserved for live in staff. Sylva hadn’t returned there since Galdin Quai, refusing to leave Prompto’s side unless absolutely necessary which meant that Lance had always been to one to go to their dusty home to pick up clothes or other necessities as required.

Prompto is both ecstatic and scared by the news, ‘’It’s because of me right?’’ He whispers looking down worried. Sylva shakes her head, ‘’Not because of you, FOR you. Not to mention it’s a perfect chance for all of us to be a better family.’’

Still finding himself shocked and a bit overwhelmed whenever anyone tells him he’s worth something, Prompto smiled shyly and goes back to reading his newest book, gifted by Noctis.

Unbeknownst by the Argentum family, a big welcoming party was being arranged by Noctis, Gladiolus and Ignis as part of their effort to help Prompto get better. The king is more than happy to go with it as he sees his son smiling more and being much more active and involved with his surroundings. 

Pushing his own exhaustion to the side, Regis promises his son to be there to welcome the newest addition to their staff even if he hadn’t done so to any others before. The fact that Sylva Argentum was a childhood friend of Cor and that their son had saved his own should be enough to prevent any scandal concerning favoritism about the family’s addition to the Citadel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we start seeing some of the changes Prompto's early involvement with the Chocobros brings about for everyone involved. Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Next chapter is going to be very fluffy so be warned XD  
> Edited


	18. Moving in

Finally the day Prompto was to leave the hospital arrived, the young boy was excited to leave the hospital after spending the last month stuck mostly in his room while waiting for the swelling of his spine to heal enough that the doctors were comfortable allowing him to leave. Now that the day was at hand, Prompto was a bubble of excited and nervous chatter as he watched his parents finish packing the last few bags containing their belongings. Cor had gone out to bring in Prompto’s new wheelchair, one that didn’t belong to the hospital. It was nearing midday by the time they were able to get everything settled and stowed away in the trunk of Cor’s car. 

Cor carefully transferred Prompto to the back seat and Sylva got to the other side to sit down beside her son. Lance was in front with Cor at the wheel. Prompto looked out of the window at the Citadel. The drive to it shouldn’t take long but after 10 minutes passed without the Citadel getting closer, Prompto turned to his parents in confusion, ‘’ Arent we going to the Citadel?’’ Sylva grinned, ‘’ Well, your father, your Uncle Cor, ‘’ She shot Cor a glare when he choked a bit, ‘’and I decided to celebrate you getting out of the hospital. We ‘re heading to your favorite restaurant for lunch.’’ Prompto stared and exclaimed, ‘’Really? We’re going there?’’ His smile was wide as he returned to watch the city pass by steadily.

The group arrived at their chosen restaurant not too long after that. The restaurant was close to their old home, a small family owned place that they had sometimes gone to visit for special occasions. Cor couldn’t help but grin as he remembered the place himself from his own childhood. The restaurant was a 24h place run by 3 immigrant families for the last 45 years, it served a fast variety of food both Insomnia and traditional things from their old home.

Cor was the first one out after parking the car right beside the door. He grabbed the wheelchair from the trunk, unfolding it and went to help Prompto get in while Lance entered the restaurant to say they had arrived. As Prompto was pushed toward the door, Sylva took the opportunity to poke Cor in the ribs to say, ‘’Remember the time we hid here for 3 hours from those gang members?’’ Prompto stared up in surprise at his mom, ‘’Gang Members?’’ Cor jerked at the poke and glare at Sylva before answering Prompto, ‘’ They were trying to claim the territory around our homes, Sylva’s house got tagged by one of the members and her mom, your grandmother, made her clean it up.’’

Prompto giggled, ‘’ So why were they following you?’’ the trio entered the lobby and were quickly guided to a table. Cor shifted the boy to the bench as Sylva answered, ‘’They did it too many times and so I decided to reverse the situation on them.’’ Lance lifted an eyebrow at her wife’s story, this was news to him. ‘’ Reverse my ass.’’ Cor huffed taking a seat beside Prompto.’’ You decided the best way of making them stop was to follow them to their base and add permanent dye to their water tank and fire system then set off several fire crackers!’’ 

The woman who had escorted them to their table chuckled, she was an older lady in her late 50’s with a kind smile. ‘’ Is that why you and Cor spent so much time in our kitchen? And here I thought it was out of the goodness of your hearts when you started helping out with the cleaning.’’ She shook her head, ‘’ I should have known. As for you dear, I’m glad to see you out of the hospital.’’ She patted Prompto’s cheek softly before giving everyone some menus. Prompto had a wonderful time, it was a good day for him and he was able to eat a good meal of chicken leg with a galahad seasoning and veggies. Lance joined Prompto in asking Cor and their host for stories about Sylva and Cor’s childhood. They ended up staying there longer than expected; leaving the restaurant after a good 2h of joyful laughter and general fun.

Prompto was quite satisfied and much calmer on their way to the Citadel, listening to his father tease his mother about some of the stories they had heard over the course of their meal. The car was brought to the underground parking of the Citadel, where all the staff left their cars, and stopped beside an elevator. A small group of people were waiting for them, Prompto grinning and waving at Gladiolus and his father as he was moved into his wheelchair once more. Cor nodded to Ventus and Rhane who were also there to talk with the Marshall. While they discussed some details, Gladiolus took over pushing Prompto’s chair as his father helped grabbed their bags to bring to their new apartment.

‘’Glad to be out of the hospital?’’ Gladiolus teased the blond boy. Prompto grinned back as he was wheeled into the elevator, ‘’ You bet I am!’’ he felt the older boys hand clap his shoulder in agreement. ‘’I’m glad you’re here too. Maybe now, His Highness and Ignis will stop pouting so much.’’ Prompto glanced at Gladio, ‘’ I don’t think Ignis can pout.’’ The future King Shield chuckled, ‘’ Probably true, but His Highness definitively can and has been.’’ They made their way through the Citadel toward the family’s new residence. 

Clarus and Prompto’s parents were right behind them, having their own quiet conversation while watching over their children. Iris Amiticia in all her childhood glory was waiting for them at the door, Jared the family butler at her side. Prompto had met the youngest Amiticia a week ago, when Gladiolus had brought her over during his weekly trip to see his new friend. Iris shouted, ‘’ Welcome to the Citadel Prompto!’’ as she ran over to hug the boy. 

Prompto chuckled, ‘’ Thank Iris. It’s nice to see you here. Did you come to help us move in?’’ Iris nodded, ‘’ Yup with Gladdy and Dad! You just have to tell us what to do and we’ll do it for you.’’ Sylva smiled at the young girl, ‘’ Then we should get started since we do have quite a bit of work to do and I believe you all have plans for later?’’ Clarus motioned for Jared to open the door and allow the family to see their new home for the first time. It was about the same size as their old home, with 2 stories and fully furnished with the furniture that had been moved to the place a few days earlier. The next few hours were spent wandering the new home and getting Gladiolus to move his things into one of the bedrooms. 

Cor rejoined them an hour after they had started, joining in on the relaxed atmosphere that surrounded the move. By the time all the boxes and bags were emptied out and everything placed to the satisfaction of it new inhabitants, the apartment looked homely and warm. Sylva checked the time and shared an amused look with her husband before calling out to the children. ‘’ Boys! Iris!’’ She waited until the children had left Prompto’s new room before continuing, ‘’ Gladiolus, Iris, I was hoping you could show Prompto around the Citadel a bit before supper?’’ Prompto nodded, ‘’ I’d love that.’’ He missed the rest of the group sharing a look behind his back and didn’t mind Iris when she chuckled. Gladiolus smirked, ‘’ Of course. Come on Iris, let show Prompto how the Citadel looks from the inside since he only really saw the outside of it last time.’’

Prompto protested in mock anger but waved at his parents as he was pushed into the main area of the Citadel. Iris pointed everything out and told Prompto things about it, like how she had meet the Prince for the first time in that room or how her brother had once gotten lost in the corridors after a training session. Gladiolus sighed in mock exasperation and corrected his sister when he felt like it. Prompto was slightly surprised by how comfortable he felt being around his new friends. Maybe it was just because he wasn’t in the hospital anymore but he was very happy and couldn’t imagine how the day could get any better.

As such he was extremely surprised when he found himself in front of a gold plated double door with Gladiolus grinning like a fool before whispering in his ear, ‘’ You are going to love this.’’ The doors opened slowly and as the light from inside spilt toward him, Prompto saw inside the room. It was a large area, surrounded by electric candelabras. Long tables filled with food and drinks lined the room with at its center a group of people waiting for his arrival. His parents, Cor, Ventus, Enar and a few of the nurses and doctors that had treated him a month ago were there. At the forefront, right beside his parents and Cor stood the King with his son and slightly behind the Prince stood Ignis with a shy smile on his face.

Prompto stared in shock at everything, Prince Noctis approached hesitantly before stopping right in front of Prompto, ‘’ Congratulations on getting out of the hospital. And welcome to your new home.’’ He said simply. Prompto felt a jaw splitting grin make it way on his face. Scratch that, this was the best thing ever! He allowed himself to be guided towards the adults with Noctis on one side and Ignis taking place on the other. After a few hours, he found himself giggling and having fun with the other 3 boys under the watchful eyes of their parents and family. Iris had been escorted to her room after falling asleep on Prompto’s lap, Noctis had watched the girl leave with a wistful expression leading to Gladiolus teasing the prince about his sleeping habits.

Ignis smiled, ‘’ I hope you are enjoying yourself Prompto.’’ The words making the other boys look at Prompto in expectation as they waited for his answer. Prompto looked at each one in turn, the raven haired prince with sad eyes but bright smile; the prim and proper Ignis with his sharp gaze and kind words and lastly the well build Gladiolus with his teasing but rough manners. ‘’Thanks for everything guys!’’


	19. Practice and Breakfast

Lance smiled as he stood at the edge of the party; his wife was talking with her new coworkers and obviously enjoying herself. He nursed the single glass flute of Champagne he had been given at his arrival but it was still half full. He had never been one to enjoy drinking, preferring to spend his time with talk between friends and a good book. Even after such a long and exhausting month, Lance had trouble relaxing when he knew so few people here.

Lost in thoughts, Prompto’s father never noticed the tall and thin man who sidled up to lean against the wall beside him. ‘’Is there a problem, Mr Argentum?’’ Lance jerked in surprised as he turned to look at the man. Ventus Scientia gave a confident smile and waited for an answer, keeping his eyes moving throughout the room without pausing. Lance replied after a bit, ‘’ No, I’m afraid I simply can’t find it in me to join in the revelry.’’

Ventus took a sip from his own glass, ‘’There is nothing to apologies for. You have several reasons to be apprehensive.’’ He turned around and extended a hand towards the other man, ‘’ I am Ventus Scientia, Adviser to his royal majesty, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII and Ignis’ Uncle.I do not believe we have had the pleasure to be officially introduced. ’’ Lance acknowledged the introduction and the hand shake with his own, ‘’Lance Argentum, I believe I should thank you for all your help throughout the last month.’’

Ventus smiled, ‘’ Please don’t worry about it, your son’s actions during the incident were exemplary and it was my pleasure to be of assistance.’’ The adviser glanced over to the professional speaker, ‘’ I once had the pleasure to hear one of your conferences a few years ago. I was quite impressed by the ease in which you presented such a hard subject as ‘The necessity of technological expansion beyond Lucian borders’. Very few people would have the courage or knowledge necessary to approach such a controversial subject so clearly.’’ Lance smirked at the memories that particular subject evoked. 

‘’ My wife’s influence more than my own design I’m afraid. She brought up the subject to me one night and since I had no limits on the subject of my presentation I decided it was worth looking into. It turned into quite the fascinating subject.’’ Lance found himself drawn into a lengthy discussion with Ventus about a variety of subjects, from some of the King’s speeches to discussion their children or in Ventus’ case his nephew. Neither of them failed to periodically check up on the rest of the guests and their family but no trouble emerged and they were left to their own devices and discussion.

Prompto doesn’t remember falling asleep sometime near 10 or 11 that evening, he barely shifted as his parents brought him back to their new home and tucked the tired boy into his bed. He simply woke up the next morning, completely relaxed with a smile on his face. Prompto rolled unto his side, his wheelchair within easy reach of his bed. The last 2 weeks had seen Prompto finally being able to get in and out of bed without help and with his chair close by, he was able to start his morning.

Neither of his parents were up and Prompto didn’t want to wake them when they were finally able to sleep peacefully. The kitchen wasn’t built to allow a wheelchair bound child the freedom to move freely. With a small frown, Prompto decided to try to make his way to the Citadel’s kitchen to get something to eat. He quickly wrote a note to prevent his parents from panicking when they woke up, leaving it on the living room table before quietly making his way out of the apartment.

The blond boy pushed himself through the quiet corridors as he tried to remember what Gladiolus and Iris had shown him yesterday. He knew the kitchen was somewhere on the second floor and his apartment was on the fifth one so he took the first elevator he could find down to the correct floor. The corridors weren’t familiar at all but Prompto didn’t allow that to deter him from his quest. He checked that he had his phone with him before leaving the elevator and moving through the mostly empty halls. The only people he saw were the occasional guards posted around the Citadel.

As he started to get nervous and even more hungry, he found himself hearing a familiar voice shouting in amusement. Following the voice, he ended up in front of a wooden door and hesitantly he knocked on the door loudly. The voice stilled and Prompto heard footsteps approaching before the door opened sharply. Prompto looked up to see a half dressed Gladiolus holding a massive practice sword over his shoulder.

‘’ Prompto?’’ Gladiolus exclaimed surprised, ‘’ Are you ok? What are you doing here?’’ He crouched down to be face to face with the smaller boy. Prompto offered a small embarrassed smile, ‘’ I might have gotten lost.’’ Gladiolus sighed in relief at the answer. Behind Gladio, a smaller form approached slowly, his own practice weapon in hand. A tired and sweaty Noctis appeared over Gladio’s shoulder, ‘’ Why are you alone outside of your apartment? Its early.’’ He spoke the last word with obvious annoyance.

Prompto grinned as he took in his new friend’s appearance, ‘’Hey Noct! Sorry about falling asleep while paying with you yesterday. Guess I was more tired than I thought.’’ Noct waved his hand in an obvious don’t mind gesture before giving Prompto a pointed look. ‘’ Ah right, the kitchen at the apartment isn’t made with a wheelchair in mind and I didn’t want to wake my parents up when they could finally get some proper rest in their own room so I thought I could go and find the Citadel kitchen to grab some food?’’ He brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment, saying it out loud made him think it was a stupid idea.

Gladio and Noctis frowned, making Prompto flinch and dip his head to look at his useless legs. The other boys noticed and with a guilty look shared between them, they moved out of the doorway. ‘’ Sorry, I didn’t even think about that.’’ Gladiolus said, motioning for Prompto to enter the training room. ‘’ We’re almost done here so why don’t you join us for breakfast afterwards?’’ Prompto perked up in surprise, ‘’ Really? Is that ok?’’ He carefully made his way past Gladiolus, who closed the door behind him, and took a look around the big room. The walls had a few weapon racks filled with different weapons; some made of wood for practice and others were real and gleamed slowly in the morning light.

Noctis had walked over to lean on an open wall with a relieved sigh before addressing Prompto, ‘’ Of course its ok! Why wouldn’t it be?’’ The prince then glared up at his weapons teacher, ‘’ Cant we stop right now? We’ve been at it for a while…’’ He whined in annoyance. Gladio grinned, clapping Prompto on the shoulder carefully before responding to the usual whining from his prince and student. ‘’ I said we were almost done didn’t I? You can still go at it for another 10 minutes Princess.’’ Prompto half choked at the nickname, never having heard it before. Gladio gave him a worried glance but relaxed when he heard Prompto start laughing. Noctis gave a glare at both boys but Prompto could see a bit of amusement and happiness shine through despite it.

With a huff, Noctis pushed himself off the wall and returned to his starting place on the opposite side of where Gladio was standing. He gripped his practice sword, fully aware of the extra pair of eyes now watching him. The next 10 minutes found Noctis falling to the ground more often than not but getting back up at Prompto’s encouragements. Gladiolus noticed the new found perseverance of the Prince and by the end of the practice was making plans to include Prompto into further sessions. He sent the muttering prince off to freshen up while he kept the blond boy company. Prompto had started looking around the room, slowly making his way through the different weapon racks before pausing for a while before a glass casing that stood apart from the rest of the weapons.

‘’ See anything you like?’’ Gladiolus approached from behind, shrugging on a t shirt. The glass case held weapons of a specific kind. To be exact, the case was full of guns, crossbows and long distance weaponry that were rarely used by Lucian forces. Gladiolus had learnt to fight with them at the insistence of his father but as far as he was aware, he was one of the only people who knew how to use them. Prompto looked at Gladio, biting his lips before replying, ‘’ Kinda. I was just thinking that even I could use one of those if I had too.’’ Gladiolus gave the boy a pensive look. ‘’ I could teach you if you want?’’ He offered almost immediately.

Prompto stared at the Shield in shock, ‘’ Are you serious? Why would you say that?’’ Gladio smiled at the boy, he laid a hand on Prompto’s shoulder before answering, ‘’ It’s a bit selfish of me but if you learning how to use a gun can help keep you safe if you get involved in another incident then I’m more than willing to help you out.’’ Prompto felt a blush creep up as he felt the obvious warmth and affection the older boy held for him , he ducked his head for a few moments before turning around as best he could to grin up at Gladio with a determined look in his eyes. Prompto remembered feeling so helpless a month ago and when he had been faced by Daemons at Galdin Quai, ‘’ I’d like that Gladio.’’

Noctis returned right then, looking at Prompto and Gladiolus talking before he asked, ‘’ Are you coming to eat?’’ Prompto waved at the prince, maneuvering his wheelchair around the bigger boy and replied, ‘’ Of course! I’m starving Noct!’’ The trio headed out together, soon finding themselves with Ignis who had been helping the maids getting things ready for Prince Noctis’ breakfast. He quickly added extra plates as he noticed Gladio and Prompto with his young charge and at the insistence of the happy Prompto, added one last one for himself.


	20. Learning the Truth

The four boys were halfway through breakfast when Prompto’s phone rang. The blond glanced at the display before hurriedly swallowing and answering the phone, ‘’ Hi Dad.’’ He heard an immediate sigh of relief, ‘’ Hey Prompto, where are you?’’ asked his father. ‘’Sorry, I kinda got lost? But found Gladio and Noct so I’m having breakfast with them and Ignis.’’ Lance chuckled, ‘’ I see. You had us worried since it’s been over an hour since you left. Do you need us to come get you?’’ Prompto frowned as he considered it, Ignis spoke up, ‘’ Is there something the matter Prompto?’’ The younger boy meet his eyes and asked, ‘’ Do any of you have time to bring me back to the apartment after breakfast?’’ Noctis swallowed and said, ‘’ I don’t have anything important!’’ The Prince ignored the annoyed glare that Ignis cast his way. Gladio chuckled and whispered to Ignis, ‘’ Forget about it Specs, there is no way His Highness isn’t going to go with blondy and skip on his classes.’’

With an answer to his question, Prompto turned back to speaking with his dad, ‘’ Don’t worry about it. Noct will make sure I get back safely.’’ Lance smiled, ‘’Alright, call us if anything happens.’’ Ending the conversation, Prompto returned to eating and playfully teasing his new friends. Ignis was trying to convince Noctis to eat his vegetables while Gladiolus was asking Prompto about his schedule for the day. ‘’I have a rehab session this afternoon, Cor is supposed to bring me to the place after having lunch with me. What about you?’’ Gladiolus huffed, ‘’ Training and classes with some tutors. Dad said he might get me to lead one of the new recruit classes. ‘’ Prompto stared at Gladio, ‘’ You teach classes?’’

Gladio laughed, ‘’ Once in a while, Dad says it’s a good way to see how the recruits behave when in front of something unexpected. Its fun to teach some of the snobbish ones a lesson too.’’ Ignis turned away from his failed attempts of dealing with his charge to add to their discussion. ‘’ I do remember the last time you taught such a lesson. I believe they had to redecorate the smaller of the eastern gardens?’’ Gladiolus choked on his food in surprise, coughing a few time before asking, ‘’ Where did you hear that?’’ Ignis simply readjusted his glasses with an amused smile. The rest of the breakfast was spent mostly teasing Gladiolus while the latter tried to convince Ignis to tell the fighter where he had gotten his information. After they had finished eating, the three boys brought Prompto back to his apartment and left him in the care of his parents.

Prompto thanked his friends for taking the time to bring him back home and watched as they left to do what they had planned in their day. Sylva smiled at her son, he looked happy. As she watched him join them at the dining room table and sit some help from his father, sit with them; she realized how strong her son was. Prompto caught the look of pure love and pride Sylva sent his way, he blushed a bit and asked, ‘’Mom?’’ she smiled at his child, ‘’ Is everything ok?’’

Sylva reached out to hold Prompto’s hand before answering, ‘’ Of course Prompto, I’m just very happy to see you make friends.’’ Prompto squeezed his mother’s hand with a shy smile. ‘’ Ya, I’m surprised too but the guys are great and really nice to me.’’ Lance chuckled and sat down on the other side of his son. Sylva sighed, her mind made up and spoke seriously to Prompto, ‘’ There is something I’d like to talk to you about if you feel like it?’’ Prompto was a bit surprised at the change of atmosphere. ‘’ Sure mom…’’ He said, feeling a bit nervous. Lance glanced at his wife, asking her if she was certain about this without actually speaking but Sylva meet his look evenly and nodded. Sylva turned her attention to her son, took a deep breath and started talking.

‘’When you were attacked in Gladin Quai by Daemons and returned with Cor to the city, the hospital staff wanted to check whether either of you two had been infected by the Scourge. Cor’s result came back clean but yours…’’ Sylva stopped, unsure on how to phrase it properly, after a few moments she continued, ‘’Your blood results came back as having very high levels of the Star Scourge Plague.’’ Prompto gasped, dragging his hand out of his mother’s grasp. ‘’ What? What do you mean?’’ Lance moved closer to Prompto, as Sylva continued, ‘’ Just like I said. You have the Scourge but for some reason or another you don’t show any signs of its infections. That’s why we couldn’t leave the hospital initially and why we came to the Citadel in the first place.’’

Prompto shook his head in panic, ‘’ Because I’m some kind of monster? Am I a Daemon?’’ His breathing becoming erratic despite his attempts to keep it under control. Lance knelt down beside his son, ‘’ Don’t be silly, you aren’t a monster nor a Daemon! You are our son and nothing will change that.’’ Prompto shook his head again with his mother looking on with worry. They waited for Prompto to calm down before Sylva spoke again, ‘’ Do you want to stop the conversation?’’ Prompto wasn’t looking at either of his parents by now, feeling shocked and confused by what his mother had just told him but he needed to know what was going on and so he shook his head. Sylva sighed before continuing, ‘’ I love you Prompto, never doubt that.’’ 

She wanted nothing more than to walk up and hug her son but knew that doing so would simply make it harder for her to talk and so she stayed where she was, allowing Lance to take care of Prompto for her. ‘’The doctors here were sent the results from Galdin Quai’s testing, they have a theory that you were exposed to the Scourge before you came to Insomnia and that by being within the King’s barrier, your body was able to somehow create antibodies to combat the infection. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You know that I work as a nurse and researcher often enough and I think that if their theory is correct then we should be able to create a cure for the Scourge, one based on your blood.’’

Prompto slowed looked up to watch his mother with some confusion, ‘’ A cure?’’ Sylva nodded and replied, ‘’ Yes a cure, a way for people who are infected to be cured or at least prevent the spread of the infection. But to do that it would mean you would have to undergo several tests. We would need to have blood samples and possibly tissue samples as well.’’ She stopped again and took a deep breath. ‘’ As a nurse and researchers, I want do the most I can to help people but as your mother, I want you to be happy and safe…. Its up to you, whether you are willing to do this or not. Its completely up to you and I want you to know that no matter what you choose, I love you and I am very proud of you.’’

Prompto sniffed, using his arms to wipe away his tears as he tried to understand everything he had just learnt. He felt two pairs of arms surround him and hug him close and Prompto felt himself break, gasping cries of panic, fear and confusion tearing its way through him. Sylva had her own tears in her eyes as she tried to help her son come to terms with what she had said and proposed. It was hard for her, feeling torn between 2 duties she held so close to her heart but that was why she wanted Prompto to make the final decision.

A knock at the door brought them out of the comfortable silence the small family had fallen into once Prompto had stopped crying. Lance glanced at the time and swore silently, it was midday which meant that the person at the door was likely Cor here to bring Prompto out for lunch and then his rehab session with the new Royal Physiotherapist. He left Sylva with Prompto and walked up to open the door, as expected it was Cor standing there.

The Marshall took one look at Lance’s expression and asked, ‘’ What happened?’’ Worry evident in his tone. Lance stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him before answering, ‘’ Sylva told Prompto about his blood results and the reason we were here in the first place. He didn’t take it well…’’ Cor swore, his jaw tense, ‘’ Do you want me to cancel todays rehab and see if Prompto’s counselor is available?’’ Lance frowned considering the suggestion seriously but before he could answer, the door opened up behind him and Prompto spoke up, ‘’ I’m ok. Can we go now Uncle Cor?’’ 

Cor took one look at the young boy, a lost look in his usually bright eyes and made his choice, ‘’ Sure kid, but you have to tell me if you don’t feel well. Deal?’’ He waited until Prompto nodded before taking his eyes off the boy and looking at Sylva, wearing a look Cor had seem a handful of time in the past. With a sigh, he turned to Lance and said, ‘’ Take care of her while I help your boy.’’ He got a small smile and thankful nod before the Marshall moved to push Prompto toward the Citadel’s underground parking. He had planned to simply eat at the cafeteria with the boy but now he would bring him out of the Citadel and to the market place for lunch. Without a single look back, Prompto and Cor headed out to eat and hopefully Cor would be able to help Prompto deal with his new found knowledge.


	21. Serious talk

Cor brought Prompto to a small outdoor market he sometimes frequented when he actually wanted to cook something for himself. There was several food stalls littering the walkway in between the farmers stalls. The Marshall kept a close eye on Prompto as he bought an anak steak wrap for each of them and insisted Prompto customize the wrap to his own liking. It took several attempts to get Prompto to react to anything as the boy was lost in thoughts, one hand absently picking at the barcode hidden under the green and beige sweatband. Cor frowned, handing the boy the wraps in order to prevent him from hurting himself more then he already had with his nervous habit.

Prompto held the wraps as his Uncle pushed him out of the market and towards a small park halfway between the Citadel and the market. The park was quiet despite the sunny day and comfortable summer weather and it made a sharp contrast with Prompto’s mood. Cor positioned the wheelchair beside a bench overlooking a small rose garden. The shade of a tree kept the worst of the sun from bothering them. They both sat in silence as they started eating the food, Cor was starting to wonder if he would have to make the first move when Prompto finally spoke to him.

‘’Did you ever love mom?’’ he asked shyly, Cor was a bit surprised by the question but answered none the less. ‘’ No, I was never one to be interested in romance of any kind.’’ The soldier shrugged, ‘’ Your mother was and still is a good friend; almost like a sister to me but she was never anything more than that.’’ Prompto nodded, his free hand returning to hover over his mark. Cor sighed and reached out, taking a soft hold on the hand and slowly bringing it away from the marked wrist. ‘’Do you… Do you ever get scared?’’ Prompto bit his lips, ‘’I guess someone like you probably never gets scared right? You’re so strong and… and… ‘’ Prompto choked up on a sob, his shoulders trembling.  
Cor sighed, putting aside his half eating wrap, he knelt down in front of Prompto, taking both of the boy’s hands in his own. ‘’ Being afraid of something is nothing to be ashamed of, Prompto.’’ He squeezed the hands slowly before continuing, ‘’ I do get scared, every time I head into a fight or on a mission for the King. I’m scared of losing my friends when I’m not around, of being unable to help the people I care about. I’m scared of waking up one day and not being able to do what I have been doing since I was 13.’’ Prompto’s sobs slowed down as he listened to Cor softly speaking to him. 

Cor waited a bit to see if Prompto would speak but seeing the boy stay silent, Cor simply continued, ‘’Did you ask me that because you’re afraid of something yourself? Something to do with what Sylva told you?’’ Prompto hiccupped as he opened and closed his mouth several times before words finally came out with shaky nods, ‘’ I’m scared Uncle Cor!’’ The boy leaned forward, Cor reaching out to make him as comfortable as possible, ‘’ I don’t know why! I just always get scared when… when I think about hospitals or needles or… or…’’ Prompto gripped Cor’s jacket tightly as he tried to stop his sobs and tears.

Cor shifted once more, allowing himself to rub Prompto’s back in slow soothing movements. His eyes dropped down to where Prompto’s covered wrist still showed signs of redness. He allowed the boy to cry until he felt less fragile in his arms. ‘’ I’m not surprised that you’re scared Prompto and that’s perfectly ok to feel that way.’’ He hesitantly pressed his lips to Prompto’s forehead in a small kiss before leaning away from the boy. ‘’We don’t know what happened to you before you were adopted by your parents but the mark you have is enough to tell me it wasn’t pleasant.’’

Cor looked at Prompto’s teary eyes and offered a small tight smile hoping to bring comfort to the child. ‘’ Tattoo are made with needles and take a long time to heal. Just because you don’t remember what happened to you doesn’t mean your body and subconscious doesn’t. So its ok to be afraid, its ok to need help.’’ Prompto nodded, his expression less lost and more focused then before. Seing this, Cor waited a bit longer then motioned to the forgotten wraps, ‘’ Lets finish eating before we head back. Unless you want to cancel your session?’’ Prompto shook his head, grabbing his wrap and taking a big bite out of it. Cor grinned and joined him in finishing their food.

It didn’t take long for them to finish eating and clean up, Prompto’s eyes were still red from crying but he was more relaxed now, a smile showing up when he spotted something interesting during the walk back to the Citadel. Cor didn’t push him or ask what he was thinking, knowing that if the boy needed something, he would ask. They made it to the rehab room just in time for Prompto’s session. Cor spent the time as he usually did when accompanying Prompto to his sessions, reading his emails and doing some paperwork as Commander of the Crownsguard. He did send a quick text to Sylva and Lance to check up on them and let them know that Prompto was doing ok.

5 minutes before the end of the session, Cor was drawn out of his work by the sound of footsteps approaching the door, he tensed up, a hand dropping to the ever present weapon at his side before relaxing when the door opened enough for the soldier to see who it was. ‘’ Your Highness, is something the matter?’’ Prince Noctis shook his head at Cor before he turned his attention to Prompto trying to move his feet more than a twitch at the time. Cor was kinda surprised to notice that he was alone, ‘’ Where are your guards your Highness?’’ he asked with a sigh. ‘’ Ditched them.’’ Noctis muttered, sliding down to sit at Cor’s feet while keeping his eyes on his friend.

Prompto didn’t notice the new addition to the room until after he was done with his session. ‘’ Hey Noct!’’ a yawned interrupted what he was saying, the mornings events and the session being enough to exhaust the still recovering boy. ‘’Whats up?’’ Prompto finished as he was wheeled over to his friend and uncle. Noctis got up slowly, looking a bit worried, ‘’ Figured you might want some company after this but if you’re tired…’’ the Prince answered slowly. Prompto grinned, ‘’ Nope I’m fine! Thanks. What did you want to do?’’ Cor looked at both boys with a smirk. Noctis hesitated before answering, ‘’ I got a few games in my room?’’ Prompto turned to Cor and gave him his best puppy eye look, ‘’ Can I?’’ 

Cor blinked in surprise at both the look and question before shrugging, ‘’ Ask your parents but I don’t see why not. Even if his Highness is supposed to be in class right now.’’ He cast a look at the Prince half amused and half annoyed. Prompto grinned, patting around until he found where he had put his phone and sent his parents a quick text, he didn’t have to wait long for an answer. The boy read it and then grinned up to Noctis. ‘’They said I could!’’ Noctis smiled and moved around to push Prompto’s chair. 

Cor escorted the duo to the Prince’s room before leaving them to have fun. Prompto gave Cor a quiet thanks before going to join Noct. He gaped at the room once he was inside, it was huge! ‘’ Wow! Being a prince is really comfy!’’ He stared at the wide screen tv with multiple consoles lying in front of it with countless wires snaking around to the back of the tv. Noctis smiled, ‘’ The couch is pretty comfy too.’’ His tone amused at Prompto’s reaction. With some help, Prompto got out of the wheel chair and unto the couch. Noctis picked up a remote and 2 controllers, handing one of them to Prompto before dropping down beside the boy.

‘’ So I have Justice Warriors 3, King’s Knight the beginning or we can play Kingdom Heart.’’ Noctis proposed, Prompto thought about it before saying, ‘’ Why not all 3? We can start with Justice Warriors since its multiplayer then we can move to the other games?’’ Noctis nodded, ‘’ Sounds good.’’ And turned the game on. It didn’t take long for the room to be filled with shout and exclamation of joy and outrage as the game progressed. They ended up switching to Kingdom Heart when Prompto found his hands shaking a bit too much to properly use the controller. The blond boy leaned on Noctis’ shoulder as he watched the prince start a new game, his eyes closing only to snap back open after a few seconds.  
Noctis was only half surprised when he felt Prompto grow heavier on his shoulder until he felt a slow even breath ghost on his neck. Pausing the game, Noctis looked at the other boy, finding him completely asleep, his face relaxed in slumber. Noctis yawned himself and after a few moments decided to join Prompto for a nap. He closed the game and tv then shifted just enough to drag Prompto into a more comfortable position before closing his eyes and falling asleep within moments.

When Cor left the boys in the Prince’s room, he headed out to see Rhane. The discussion with Prompto had reminded him of something he wanted to check, namely whether their spies had found any information about the boy or his origins before his arrival in Insomnia. He found her in the training hall with some of the new recruits, going through drills. Not wanting to interrupt their concentration, Cor sat down out of sight and finished the paperwork he still had to do. HE wasn’t too surprised to see Rhane head straight towards him once she was done, leaving the recruits to clean up in order to talk with her commander.

‘’Nice to see you here.’’ She teased, hinting at his prolonged disappearance from the Citadel over the last month. Cor grunted, finishing the last paper before turning his attention to Rhane, ‘’ I figured you could use some extra training in dealing with being in charge of the Crownguards. Or did you want me to hold your hand and tell you what to do?’’ Rhane laughed and sat down across from him. ‘’Nah, it was nice not to have you around being grumpy and complaining about every single thing.’’ She looked at him with a serious expression, ‘’You have good timing though, I just got a message from one of our men in Gralea.’’ Cor looked at her and waited for the report, ‘’ The Nifs seem to be ramping up the funds for the research they started before the Wall went up and expanding on some kind of new tech. We don’t have no idea on what this new tech is exactly only that Verstael Besithia has been granted full control over it along with the new Chancellor Ardyn Izunia. They’ve shifted a large amount of their military fund into this new project.’’ Cor leaned back, closing his eyes and he processed this information.

‘’ This could be trouble, they might be trying to find a way to destroy or pierce the Wall. I’ll let his majesty know about it. Until we know more, tell our spies that this takes priority alongside keeping an eye on the Nox Fleuret.’’ He paused then asked the question that had brought him over in the first place, ‘’ Any news about Prompto Argentum’s origin?’’ Rhane sighed and shook her head slowly, ‘’ Not so far. Only thing we know for certain is that he was born in Niflheim but nothing else.’’ Cor sighed, he had expected as much but couldn’t help but be wary of this lack of information. The records for the empire were well protected but birth certificates weren’t as much as military documents. He had thought that their spies would have found something. With a groan, Cor got up and thanked Rhane for the information. He had to talk with Regis, Clarus and Ventus as soon as possible.


	22. Sylva's mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has implied sex so if that makes you uncomfortable, skip the 8th paragraph.

‘’Take care of her.’’ The words bounced in Lance’s mind as he watched his wife’s childhood friend take his downcast son out for lunch. Lance sighed, he could admit to being a bit jealous of Cor, not only because of his link to Sylva from a mischievous childhood spent together but also because of the way Cor had been able to connect with Prompto so easily while he himself often struggled to do so with his own son.

Lance forced himself to take a few deep breaths and put the thoughts away for now, he had a sullen wife to comfort before Prompto came back. He turned around and reentered his new home, it felt a bit weird for the speaker to describe the apartment as being home just yet but he knew the faster he started calling it that, the faster he would come to see it as reality. Sylva had gotten up from the kitchen table and was by the water boiler, her fingers drumming against the counter without realizing it. Lance walked up behind her and asked quietly, ‘’ Is it ok if I hug you?’’ Sylva was startled out of her thoughts and turned to look at her husband, standing a few inches away with open arms.

She hesitated a few moments before walking into his embrace and hiding her face on his neck. Lance closed his arm around his wife, not hugging too tight, just enough to let her know he was there. They stood there in silence for several minutes until the whistle of the water boiler started going. Sylva took one last deep breath from within the comforting arms of her husband before stepping back to make a tea, ‘’ Do you want one?’’ She asked. 

Lance smiled, giving her a small kiss on her cheek before replying, ‘’ Sure, I’ll make us some lunch if you feel up to it?’’ Sylva hummed, before shaking her head, ‘’ I don’t think I could eat anything right now. Maybe later.’’ Lance rubbed her arm gently, ‘’Alright then.’’ He took the offered tea cup, closing his hands over the pleasant warmth that came from it before following Sylva to the more comfortable sofa of the living room.

They sat side by side in silence while drinking their tea, Lance keeping an eye on how tense Sylva was but thankfully as time went by her body became more relaxed and by the time the drinks were done, she was leaning against her husband’s shoulder, nuzzling his neck while he had an arm around her shoulders. ‘’ Want to talk about it?’’ He offered, Sylva hummed before asking, ‘’Did I do the right thing?’’ She moved her face to hide in the crook of his neck, allowing Lance to give her a few soft kisses on the top of her head before he replied, ‘’ That’s not a fair question and you know it.’’

Lance carefully laid his empty cup on the living room table before doing the same with Sylva’s, ‘’It’s not my place to decide if something is right or wrong, especially when it comes to something like this. We already talked about having this conversation while we were coming back from Galdin Quai with Cor. Could it have gone better if you had waited until Prompto was feeling better? Maybe but waiting would have made you feel bad and you might have ended up pushing Prompto into making a decision quickly.’’ He tightened his grip on her shoulders for a few moments, carefully keeping his eyes away from his wife, knowing she would appreciate the privacy.

He waited for a few moments to see if Sylva would say something but she only leaned further into her husband’s warmth and so he continued, ‘’Prompto is a strong boy and is our son. We might not have been around as much as we could have, ‘’ he stopped and wirily chuckled, ‘’ Should have actually, but it made him into an independent person with his own mind. And now we are there to help him and guide him if he needs or asks for it. Not only us but this whole experience has allowed him to meet his new Uncle Cor, ‘’ He felt Sylva give a small chuckle at that, ‘’ and make some new friends. He isn’t alone anymore and I feel as though he never will be either. No matter what might happen from here on out.’’ Sylva shifted and pushed herself up to look at Lance, her eyes filled with love as she gently cupped his face and leaned in for a long soft kiss.

Lance leaned into the touch, happy to have helped Sylva feel better and more than happy to give her what she was asking for. They both leaned back, breathless from the kiss and shared a smile as they looked at each other for several seconds before they both burst out in laughter, foreheads touching as Sylva moved to straddle her husband. She whispered into his ear, ‘’ Prompto won’t be back for another hour at least and neither of us have to do anything until tomorrow.’’ She smiled and leaned in for another kiss. Lance chuckled and met her halfway, all thought of worry leaving him as he tasted his wife and allowed her to do what she wanted.

An hour later, Sylva’s phone buzzed on the kitchen table. Sylva gave a small hiss of annoyance before getting up from where she was resting on Lance’s chest to go and check on the cause. ‘’ It’s Prompto. He wants to go spend time with Prince Noctis instead of coming back here.’’ She chuckled as she smiled at her phone. Lance called out, ‘’ I told you not to worry about him. Let him know its ok and then come back here!’’ Sylva laughed, sending her son a quick message to let him know neither of them minded before returning to her husband. It was a few more hours before either of them got back up. Sylva took a quick shower and then headed out. She wanted to have a quick look at her new work place before she had to show up for her first shift the next morning. With one last kiss to her husband, Sylva left towards the infirmary.

She was heading towards the medical complex when raised voice from behind a closed door drew her attention. After a few seconds, she recognized the shouting voice as being from Clarus Amiticia. She was curious and a little worried about the reason for the seemingly patient man to be shouting and so she approached the closed doors and its guards as though it was her intention in the first place. Neither guards flanking the door stopped her as she opened it and slipped unnoticed into the room.

King Regis was sitting, half slumped on a chair, one leg stretched out in front of him in a tense manner telling Sylva that he was in pain while Clarus stood with arms crossed and a angry expression on his face, ‘’ You’re supposed to tell us when it gets this bad Regis! We cant help you unless you let us know about these things.’’ Regis sighed, ‘’ Tell you what? That the Wall is a heavy burden? It’s nothing we didn’t know already and what good would it do to tell you about it?’’ Clarus growled but didn’t say anything, his expression dropping to show sadness and worry as he gazed unto his old friend. Regis winced as he shifted his leg slightly and Sylva moved before she was conscious of it. ‘’ Let me see before you make it worst.’’ Clarus had a sword in hand before Sylva could take more than a single step. He relaxed when he realized who it was, the sword disappearing by the time Sylva knelt beside the king and started examining his leg and hips. ‘’ I need you to tell me exactly how much pain you’re in and how it feels.’’ Regis stuttered in shock, ‘’ Mrs Argentum? Why are you here?’’ Sylva scoffed and raised her head to meet the King’s gaze squarely, ‘’Sylva is fine your Majesty, I heard Clarus shouting and wondered why he would do so. I’m glad I did though.’’ She gently pressed against the muscles in his leg and watched as he bit off a groan of pain and closed his eyes. Clarus took a step back before saying, ‘’ So am I, maybe you can convince this fool to take it easy and not rush from one place to another when he is in pain.’’

Sylva frowned, ‘’ Is that what you did?’’ She looked at Clarus, a silent conversation happening before the Shield grinned and moved quickly. He picked Regis up in a bridal carry, disregarding the stutter and blustering man and simply told Sylva, ‘’ Lead the way.’’ Sylva laughed and got up while Regis shouted, ‘’ Clarus! Stop this immediately! Put me down right this instant!’’ Clarus simply readjusted his grip while following Sylva through the door. The nurse was already going through a list of different things she could do to help the king with his pain and prevent further damage to the muscles and tendons. Regis spent several minutes trying to get out of his Shield firm grip before giving up. He addressed the nurse instead, ‘’Mrs Sylva, I appreciate your concern about my health but I’m afraid there is nothing that you can do. It is simply the burden I carry as king.’’ Sylva cut him off before he could continue, ‘’It’s because of the Wall correct?’’ She took Regis’ stunned silence as confirmation, ‘’Cor told me about it, but simply because your energy is being drained by the Wall doesn’t mean that nothing can be done to help you manage the burden through proper rest, nutrition and exercise.’’

Clarus couldn’t help a small laugh escape his lips at the sight of Regis being shut down by the smaller woman. He didn’t even budge when Regis elbowed him in in the ribs as punishment for the laughter, simply grinning down at the man in his arms. Sylva lead the way to the royal chambers, pushing the heavy doors and stopping as soon as she entered. Clarus frowned as she stopped at the doorway, ‘’ Is something the matter?’’ He asked, readjusting the king in his arm in case he needed to act. Sylva simply shot the 2 men a wide smile before moving out of the way, ‘’See for yourselves.’’ She motioned towards the sofa.

Clarus and Regis shared a confused look before moving into the room, Clarus slowly approaching the sofa so that Regis could see what had made Sylva smile so happily. On the sofa, looking incredibly comfortable cuddling with each other were Prompto and Noctis. Both boys facing each other, arms wrapped around the other and soft smiles on their faces. Regis was stunned by the peaceful expression on his son’s face, one he had not seen in a long time especially with the frequent nightmares that still caused Noctis to wake up screaming on some nights. Sylva approached the boys, having taken out her cell phone and quietly took a few pictures for prosperity.

Clarus smiled at the sight on his Prince looking so peaceful and at Regis having such a relaxed expression on his face. Sylva tapped his arm gently and motioned for the men to follow her into the next room. Clarus did so and followed her instructions to place the King unto the comfortable arm chair while she asked a guard to bring her some equipment from the infirmary. Clarus had to tell the man to obey Sylva when he hesitated but otherwise didn’t interfere with her. By the time the guard returned with a sizeable bag in hand, Sylva had done a complete examination of the king’s state and was more than a little put off by what she saw.

The man was underweight and showed clear signs of exhaustion on top of muscle dystrophy on his right leg with no apparent reason for it. She ran a few more tests once her equipment arrived to get a better baseline of his health but soon came to a simple conclusion. ‘’ You are suffering from a burn out.’’ She stated simply, crossing her arms to reflect her unhappiness. Regis huffed, ‘’ I am the King of Lucis, I have no time for such a thing.’’ Sylva growled and shared another look with Clarus, the bigger man simply shrugging as though to say now you see what I deal with.

She returned her eyes to the King and declared, ‘’ Well that is no excuse for your poor health, I would say that being means taking even better care of yourself which you obviously haven’t been doing.’’ Regis made as though to stand up and Sylva simply pushed him back into the seat before wagging her finger at him, ‘’ That’s enough stubbornness out of you. You are to take the rest of the day off. I’m sure that Ventus and Clarus can deal with anything that comes up. I expect you to go take a bath and relax then spend some time with your son.’’ Regis opened his mouth to argue but Clarus cut him off, ‘’ Sounds like a plan, I’ll let Ventus know about it.’’ He clapped Sylva on the shoulder and left the room and quarters with a parting teasing message, ‘’ I leave the King to your care Sylva!’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about the burden of the Wall on Regis since we know that he put it up 30 years before the Fall on Insomnia and figured out that the Wall saps energy from the King. As such the side effects increase if the user is sick, stressed or no taking care of themselves. It means that while its impossible to completely prevent the side effects, like most thing it can be managed and the effects lessened to a considerable degree.


	23. The Marshall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! I'm glad people are enjoying Sylva and Lance's character.

Cor left Rhane behind, intent on finding the King and his advisers in order to warn them of the possible threat caused by Niflheim's renewed interest in Verstael's work. He headed straight for the council room since it was likely that they were in a meeting at this time of day. Cor slid into the room through its back entrance and positioned himself beside Clarus, he leaned in and whispered to the Shield, ''I need to speak with you, Regis and Ventus.''

Clarus shifted to glance at Cor, seeing the serious expression on the Marshall's face. He nodded and whispered back, ''After the meeting, it should be done in 2 hours or so.'' Cor nodded his thanks and slipped back out of the room. The meeting was about trade agreements with Accordo, something Cor was woefully unknowledgeable and by extant uninterrested about. Since he had 2 hours before he could discuss with his friends, he decided to catch up on the general state of the Crownguards.

He started off by going to his office, dealing with the paperwork that was left there for his and Rhane attention. Very few of the papers were urgent but he did find the report Rhane had told him about and read it for himself. The report held more details about the exact amount allotted to the project, which was almost half of all Niflheim's military spending! This simply increased Cor's worry. He finished off all the important paperwork, tucked the report in a file holder to bring around with him and left his office to wonder over to meet last months new recruits; those he had not yet seen.

He spent the remainder of the time there, walking and talking with the 2 dozen recruits and checking on their progress. He found this group to be filled with problematic fellows who seemed to have quite the elitist view of the Crownguard especially when they were asked about refugees and working with the new Kingsglaive. Cor signaled the problem to their supervisor; leaving the decision of how to approach and deal with the problem to them. After a bit more then 2 hours had passed, Cor found himself heading back towards the council room to check on the progress of the trade talks.

He slid back into the room but soon left after hearing the droning voice of the Accordo Trade minister going on and on about taxes and how much Insomnia should be grateful they were even trading with the Crown City in the first place. Cor gritted his teeth at the words, leaving quickly since the meeting hadnt ended yet. He told the guards at the official door to let Clarus know he would be returning in half an hour to talk as asked. The half hour would be enough for him to go get a small snack to eat from the Citadel cafeteria.

His return to the meeting room found it empty of King or Shield though Ventus was still there, talking with the Crown's chief trade adviser about the meeting and its details. Cor approached the man, waiting to be acknowledge before he interrupted the conversation, ''I apologize for interrupting your conversation but I am looking for his Majesty. Do you know where he has gone?'' Ventus bowed to the trade adviser before motioning Cor to follow him a few steps away, ''Clarus noticed his Majesty's leg was acting up and he was being stubborn and hiding it from us.'' Cor frowned and nodded, ''I see, I'll go look for them at the infirmary. Do you think you can meet up with us soon?''

Ventus thought for a moment before answering, ''I'll try to finish this quickly and meet up with you where ever you are at the time. Do let me know when you find them.'' Cor nodded, giving he man a shallow bow before leaving him to his job while he went looking for his stubborn King and equally stubborn Shield. The first place he went to check was the infirmary but none of the doctors or nurses had seen the King since his last check up a week ago. Cor thanked them and sent a quick text to Clarus gave no response but Cor hadnt expected one either. Clarus found using a phone and texting to be complicated and a nuisance at the best of times, preferring to talk in person when needed.

Clarus wondered around the Citadel, checking the usual places that Regis often found himself gravitating too when he was tired, stressed or even injured but the man nor his Shield were anywhere to be found. A small amount of worry crept in the Marshall's mind, had something happened to the pair? The worry was soon dismissed as he overheard one of the guards talking with one of the maids about seeing the king being escorted by Clarus into a rarely used room shortly after the meeting had finished. 

Cor made his way there quickly enough but found it as empty of King and Shield as all the previous places he had checked. With a groan, the soldier leaned back unto the wall, trying to figure out where to check next. There was still the prince's tutoring room, the library and of course the royal quarter though he doubted the king would go there unless he was very ill or injured and if that had happened then Cor would have received a phone call from Clarus to warn him of it. Suddenly his phone vibrated twice, indicating he had received a message from someone. Taking his phone out while leaving the room, he found a message from Sylva with an attached picture. 

''You'll love this.'' was the message sent by the woman and Cor found himself waiting somewhat impatiently as the picture was opened by his phone. A full face blush sprung up, making the guards stare in shock at the suddenly still and red face Marshall. '' Is everything alright Marshall?'' Asked one of them, moving closer to the man with a worried expression. Cor coughed awkwardly, quickly closing the phone before anyone could see what was on it. '' Yes just an unexpected message from a friend. Excuse me.'' Cor left the confused guards behind not aware that his actions and words would start a new rumor about the Immortal Soldier, namely that he had a secret lover who enjoyed sending him dirty pictures while he worked.

Cor made sure he was far enough from anyone before reopening his phone and allowing a fond smile to decorate his face. The picture Sylva had sent him was off Prompto and the Prince sleeping together on a couch Cor could easily place as being from the royal quarters. He sent back a text, I'm glad they are getting along so well, before continuing his search for the king. After a few minutes, another message arrived but it was not from Sylva rather from Ventus. The adviser was with Clarus and would meet with Cor in an hour to discuss whatever Cor had wanted to talk about. ''What about Regis?'' he muttered before sending the question back to Ventus. The reply he received had him first staring in utmost confusion then facepalming with a sighed, ''Sylva!''. He had expected something like this to happen but not so soon after the headstrong nurse had moved in. With an amused shake of his head, Cor headed towards the royal quarters, he figured he might as well take the time to check in on Regis himself.

The trip took little time and Cor couldnt help but be amused as the lost and confused expression he saw on the guards assigned to guard the doors leading into the rooms where the royal family lived in. He waved off the salute they gave him and entered the room silently, wanting to see for himself the mess that simply had to come from two very stubborn individuals meeting with each other properly for the first time. He had no doubt as to whom would come out on top, having known both individuals for years and Regis simply had no chance without the assistance of an astral.

He cast a quick look at the couch, founding it still occupied by the sleeping children before moving towards where he could hear soft but harsh voices talking with each other. The sight waiting him in that room was about what he had expected. '' I do not have the time to deal with you at the moment Mrs. Argentum. I have several meetings that need my attendance and must be on my way.'' Sylva was standing in front of Regis, a hand firmly on his chest to keep him sitting in the comfortable looking armchair that sat in the middle of the room. Regis face was scowling as he attempted and failed to get up. Sylva's face was also in a scowl but her eyes were filled with amusement as she easily kept the exhausted king where he was. '' You can barely stand your Majesty. As Nurse and Cor's friend, I cannot allow a man in your state to go gallivanting about recklessly. You will stay here for the rest of the evening and try to relax.''

Cor couldnt help the chuckle that came out as he looked at his friends. Both of them looked at him in surprise, Regis with a calculating gaze and Sylva with an amused smirk. Sylva took her hand off the king's chest and took a few steps back.''Hey Cor, you're just in time. Can you keep on eye on this reckless king while I call up the infirmary and get things moving so we can deal with his health problems properly?'' She asked. The king took the opportunity to try and get up but found himself unable to put any weight on his right leg as it buckled and forced him back into the chair with a groan of pain. He cast the nurse a glare as she simply lifted an eyebrow as if to say, see I was right. '' I have seen all the doctors and specialist available to me over the years. None of them could offer any relief from the burden of the Wall. I highly doubt that you could do so when you are simply a nurse and know little of the magic involved in it.''

Cor winced as he saw Sylva straightened in anger, her eyes flashed as she responded to the careless word of the King,'' Only a nurse? Your Majesty must not be aware of what exactly our jobs as humble nurses entail.'' Sylva looked as though she was about to continue when the door behind Cor cracked open and a sleepy eyed prince walked in. ''Dad? Whats going on?''

Sylva deflated, not wanting the lecture the man before his son but her mind took in the worry plain in the prince's eyes. Since the King was being unreasonably stubborn; she would try and convince the father to take care of himself for his son's sake. '' Everything is fine Noct, I was just talking with Prompto's mother about something. I'm sorry if we woke you up.'' said Regis with a smile. Sylva turned to the prince and motioned him to approach while explaining the situation to the boy. ''Your father hasn't been taking proper care of himself. I was trying to convince him that spending the rest of today relaxing would help improve his health considerably. Perhaps you could help me convince him?''

Noctis bit his lips in worry as he glanced at Cor. Cor smiled and nodded,'' She telling the truth. Your father can't even stand right now because his leg is causing him trouble.'' The Marshall ignored the stuttering outrage of his king and leaned back to watch the show, he nudged the door open wider to kept on eye out for Prompto should the blond wake up and need help. Noctis' eyes widen in worry and fear and he quickly made his way over to his father, hesitating as to what to do next. Sylva gave the king a smirk behind the prince's back before addressing the young boy, '' I suggested to the king that he take a nice warm bath to help him relax. Perhaps you could join him and help him out? The warm water will help his muscles relax and heal quicker.'' 

''There is no need to disturb my son on this matter! I am quite capable of taking a bath alone!'' He stammered in reply, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment at the subject but the idea was now planted in Noctis' mind. The prince nodded more to himself then anyone in particular before turning to address Sylva, ''I'll do it! Is there anything that should be added to the water to help more?'' 

Sylva hummed in contentment before replying, '' Thats a wonderful idea your highness! I have a few things that can be added to bath water to help with healing and relaxation. If you and Cor are able to get the bath started and bring his Majesty over to it, I'll go and grab some salts and oils to add in.'' Noctis grinned and Cor smiled, '' I dont have a problem with that.'' The marshall replied, he quickly shot Ventus a message letting him know of the situation as Noctis hurried out to ask the maids to start the bath. all three of them ignoring the angry king in favor of getting things ready for his Majesty's bath. 

Prompto woke up, shivering a bit and somewhat confused at lying down on a sofa. His memories returned and remembered playing games with Noctis before passing out from exhaustion. He groaned and slowly pushed himself up, looking around him and seeing several maids moving around the room as quietly as possible. Cor noticed the boy getting up and with a quick warning to Regis not to move, headed out to see him.


	24. Time together

‘’How are you feeling Prompto?’’ Cor asked, as he walked up to the boy and knelt in front of the sofa. Prompto blinked in confusion several time before meeting his Uncle’s gaze, ‘’ Ok I guess.’’ He answered slowly, Cor chuckled and asked, ‘’Confused?’’ Prompto nodded again. Cor grinned, offering the boy a hand to get back into his wheelchair before explaining, ‘’Your mom noticed King Regis wasn’t feeling well.’’ He grinned conspiringly at the blond, Prompto grinned back and whispered, ‘’Mom did her usual thing?’’  
Cor laughed as he wheeled Prompto into the room where Noctis and Regis were facing each other. The prince had a stubborn look in his eyes that matched the one from Regis had when confronted with a willful councilman or diplomat. The king was trying hard not to wince as he shifted in the armchair. Noctis glanced over when Prompto and Cor came back, smiling as Prompto waved cheerfully before taking over for Cor. 

‘’ Hey Noct! Sorry for falling asleep like that.’’ Prompto told the prince. Noctis smiled at him, ‘’ It’s ok Prompto! By the way, I don’t think you ever meet my dad right?’’ Prompto smiled back but he felt a blush creep up when he glanced at the King. ‘’ its… It’s nice to meet you Your Majesty.’’ Regis was surprised to see Prompto so at ease when addressing his son but seem so overwhelmed when he turned to the older man. ‘’ Um... I’m sorry for Mom. She can be overwhelming at times. But she means well! I promise!’’ Prompto waved his hand in front of him in an apologetic manner.

Regis glanced over at Cor, sharing an amused and thoughtful look before turning back to his son’s friend. ‘’ There is no need to apologies or be nervous, young Prompto. I understand what your mother is trying to say even if I don’t agree with it or the way she goes about doing it.’’ He muttered the last part more to himself than anyone else. Noctis glared at his dad, pouting a bit at the way he brushed aside his and Prompto’s mom’s concern, ‘’Then why don’t you take better care of yourself?’’

Regis felt surprised at his son’s sudden words. He knew that Noctis loved him and he himself regretted not being a bigger part in his son’s life but it was the first time that Noctis had expressed himself so clearly on something other than his studies or his disgust for vegetable. Was this because of his new friend? Noctis had rarely expressed himself so clearly since his incident but had been coming out of his shell since he had meet Prompto even if the meeting had been short. ‘’Noct?’’ asked Prompto, extending a hand towards his friend.

Noctis glared at his father before turning around and leaving, one hand rising to brush at his eyes. Prompto shot a look at the King wearing a shocked expression before he turned his chair around and went after the teary eyed prince. Cor watched the fight with a worried look, seing the young prince brushing away tears as he fled the room. Cor stopped Prompto as the blond tried to leave, ‘’ I’ll leave Prince Noctis to you, let me take care of your mom and the King.’’ He gave the younger boy a confident smile before holding the door open so Prompto could follow after the prince.

Noct had headed straight to his room, Prompto catching a quick glance at his back before the door closed. The still shy boy hesitated as he raised a hand to knock at the door; it wasn’t until he remembered his Uncle’s word that he got the courage to actually do so. He knocked twice and then waited for an answer. He tried again when he got no answer than when he still got no answer, Prompto tried the door knob. He was quite surprised when it turned easily, the boy opening the door a crack before announcing his presence, ‘’ Noct? Is it ok if I come in?’’ Once again Prompto didn’t get an answer. Now worried, the boy struggled to open the door and maneuver his wheel chair into the room.

Noctis was lying curled up in a tight ball on his large bed, not reacting at all when Prompto entered. His shoulders were heaving as he tried to stifle the sobs and tears that flowed out of him. Prompto slowly made his way over to Noct, ‘’ Noct?’’ the blond asked quietly. Noct raised his head just high enough to see Prompto looking at him with a sad and worried expression. Noct reacted mostly on instinct, almost throwing himself at the boy who he had only really met a month ago under horrible circumstances. The thinner boy flung his arms around the blond, hiding his crying face on his friend’s shoulder and cried.

Prompto hugged the sad prince carefully, rubbing the black haired boy’s back in a soothing circle, the way his mother had done when he had been sick and she was at home to take care of him. He muttered soothing words, not paying attention at what he was saying, just wanting to comfort his friend as much as he could. Prompto didn’t know how long it was before someone knocked at the door, he was expecting his mom, Cor or even the King himself coming to check up on them but was surprised when the people who entered the room turned out to be a worried Ignis and blustered Gladio. Both older boys moved to flank their younger friends, joining in on offering the still crying prince some comfort.

With Gladio there, the group made its way to the bed, cuddling together with Noct at the center. Noct started calming down soon after and ended up talking to the trio around him. In between stifled gasps and tears, Noct told him how scared he was of seeing his father die, of the nightmares he still had of Tenebrae’s invasion, of the Nagalith that had attacked him a couple of years ago and even of his fear that Ignis and Gladio only cared for him because it was their job. He told them about waking up in pain every morning and hiding it because that was what was expected of him even as he could barely think about anything other than the pain that radiate from his back. Prompto picked up quickly enough that Noct at never hinted at any of this to either Gladio or Ignis before as they both stared in barely suppressed horror at how badly they had failed at protecting their charge.

Noctis ended up falling asleep, emotionally tired despite the previous nap he had with Prompto. Prompto hugged the suddenly small boy closer to him, petting his raven hair softly as he watched Ignis and Gladio bend toward each other having a whispered conversation. ‘’ He never told you guys any of this before.’’ Prompto asked quietly, not looking at the older boys. Ignis looked at the younger boys for a moment before answering, ‘’No, I’m ashamed to say neither of us had any idea of the burden his Highness bore so silently.’’ Gladiolus looked down, ‘’I knew he wasn’t very good at expressing himself to anyone but I had no idea he was dealing with so much. If I had…’’ The large teenager dug his nail in his palm as he stopped. Prompto slowly move the hand he didn’t have petting the prince and extended it to the other boys, a silent invitation for them to free themselves of their own burden and rely on the younger blond boy.

Ignis and Gladiolus both stared at the hand in surprise and confusion, before giving Prompto a small hesitant smile. Ignis moved to be at Noctis’ back, leaning into the pillows arranged behind them and slowly pulling both Prompto and Noctis closer. Gladiolus did the same on Prompto’s back; making sure the still injured blond was comfortable and warm. It was a comfortable silence for a while before Prompto started talking about his own troubles. His relation with his parents and their constant absence in his life until very recently. About his anxiety and self-confidence issues and even the reason why he had started running after meeting the Prince. He told them about what his mother had proposed this very morning about possibly creating a cure for the Scourge using his blood. Ignis tried to apologies for Noctis’ words at the time but Prompto simply waved it away saying that he had needed the push to make up his mind on becoming healthier. Prompto’s words seem to have done what he had wanted, allowing Ignis and Gladiolus to share their own burden in a safe place. They all seemed to lapse into peaceful silence before one by one, they fell asleep.

The adults found them that way soon after they had fallen asleep, all tangled up together in Noctis’ bed. Gladiolus opened his eyes the moment he heard them enter followed closely by Ignis who shifted in order to be between the door and the younger boys. Sylva leaned back, giving Cor a clear ‘I told you so’ look which was matched by a shrug. Regis looked worried but much less than before as he watched the care that Gladio and Ignis clearly had for his son and their new friend. He slowly approached the bed, limping slightly even after the bath Sylva had insisted he take before checking in on his son; he sat at the edge of the bed, motioning the older boys not to move and disturb the other two needlessly. ‘’I put a great burden on my son, one greater then I had expected him to feel but I am glad he has both of you to help him when he it.’’ Regis whispered softly as he rubbed Noctis’ hair. His son shifted in his sleep, nuzzling his father’s hand with a whimper.

Sylva stepped forward and whispered into the King’s ear, ‘’ Why not join them?’’ She barely prevented herself from laughing at the scandalized expression on Ignis’ face as Regis twisted to mock glare at her, he couldn’t help but sigh though. The nurse had been absolutely correct on how much more relaxed he felt after the warm bath filled with calming scents and oils. Sylva simply grinned and shooed the king into the bed with Cor shaking his head in pure amusement, ‘’ Your Majesty should do as she says, you haven’t been able to spend much time with the prince because of the Accordo trade agreements.’’ Cor noticed the shocked expression that Ignis and Gladio were now sporting as they watched a small woman usher their king into the large bed, taking care of slowly moving the sleeping boys so neither of them woke up while ensuring that there was no pressure on his bad leg. It was an expression Cor was familiar seeing in other when they first meet Sylva and get caught up in her pace and helpful nature. He moved over the help Sylva readjust the covers and pillows to keep everyone warm and comfortable.

‘’ Ignis, this is Sylva Argentum, Prompto’s mother.’’ Cor kept his voice down as he made introductions to the only person in the room who hadn’t meet the headstrong woman yet. Ignis nodded, still staring at the woman fluttering around the room like she owned it and yet seemed incredibly respectful about the Prince’s belongings and privacy. Regis was a bit self conscious as he was settled down beside his son. Ignis and Gladiolus both getting out of the bed to allow the father and son some time alone. Sylva nodded her approval at the gesture, leaning over to wake up her own son with a soft kiss. Prompto stirred and looked into his mom’s eyes with a sleepy gaze. He noticed the King on the opposite side of Noctis and that woke him up quickly, he pushed himself up with a squeak, Sylva rapidly motioned for him to stay silent, looking down at the still sleeping prince and waited for Prompto to nod in understanding before pressing another kiss on his forehead. 

‘’Time to get back home.’’ Prompto nodded, bowing silently at the King before allowing Gladiolus and Cor to help him out of the bed, feeling a bit sore with everything that had happened throughout the day. The group left the father and son to rest quietly and made their way out of the royal quarters in comfortable silence. Ignis was the first one to break it once they were in the corridor, ‘’Mrs. Argentum.’’ Sylva smiled at the prim and proper young man, ‘’Call me Sylva,’’ Ignis nodded, ‘’ Then Mrs Sylva, might I ask how did you manage to persuade the king to rest? My uncle has always told me that King Regis was rather notorious for not resting until he had completed all of his day’s work no matter how long it might take.’’

Sylva grinned, ‘’I’m afraid that’s a trade secret. Nurses are quite used to dealing with troublesome patients and we have to learn how to deal with each one of them in the best way to get them the care they need.’’ Gladiolus shoved Ignis a bit as he declared, ‘’You should have seen her when she was with Prompto at the hospital. Now that was impressive.’’ Sylva laughed and bid farewell to the other boys and Cor; allowing Prompto to do the same before they both headed back to their new apartment. Opening the door released a wonderful aroma from inside their home and a familiar voice called out happily, ‘’ Welcome back! I made supper.’’ Lance walked over to the entrance to greet his family after a long day. Prompto smiled, unbearably happy at the sight of his family together. A month ago, he wouldn’t have thought it possible, to come back home to find both of his parents there and a good meal waiting for him. ‘’ I’ll do it.’’ He meet his mother’s eyes squarely and repeated his words, ‘’ I’ll help you and the other researchers make a cure from my blood.’’


	25. Afternaps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is correct and not a typo.

Cor bid farewell to Sylva and Prompto,and sent a quick text to Ventus to know if he and Clarus could talk. Ventus replied with their location and Cor quickly made his way to the royal adviser's office where it was beside the King's own office. The Marshall knocked on the door once before opening it without waiting for an answer. ''How is his Majesty?'' Clarus asked in way of greeting as his fellow crownsguard entered.

Cor chuckled striding to drop down in a chair beside the larger man, he glanced at the table where an empty glass stood beside a bottle of whisky. He poured himself a glass as he answered, ''Napping with his son.'' Clarus was drinking from his own glass as Cor answered his question and the words made him choke as he slammed the glass down on the table between them before exploding in laughter. Ventus as briefly meet the woman at the welcoming part held in honor of her son but had spent most of his time with Lance.  
Cor laughed, lifting his drink up in a toast, '' To Sylva, wrangled of overworked kings!'' Clarus grinned and raised his own glass to join in on the toast before both man took a long drink of the whisky. Ventus looked at both man, he had been told about the matriarch of the Argentum family and had looked into her past when the question of the family living in the Citadel had been brought up and yet there was obviously something that reports couldnt explain if she had such a strong impact on the 2 man who carried the responsibility of the King's safety.

The royal adviser listened as Cor told them about the busy afternoon and how Sylva had managed to get Regis to do exactly what she wanted him to do. Clarus' laughter continued as the shield imagined the various expression that would have been on his charge's face. Ventus waited until Cor had ended his tale before asking, '' You said you had something important to discuss?'' The light mood changed instantly, as Cor straightened in the chair, putting away the drink and moving to give Ventus the reports he had picked up from his office.  
'' Niflheim has started to move a lot of funds into the exclusive control of Verstael and the new Chancellor Izunia. My spies have not found what this latest project is but considering the Emperor has moved almost half of their normal fund to that particular project, I think we can safely assume its something big and dangerous for Lucis.'' Ventus took the report, quickly looking through it. ''This is very worrying indeed. Its been over a decade since Verstael's project was started and the arrival of Ardyn Izunia in the political world of the Empire and yet we have no more of an idea on what is being researched or built by them.''

Clarus rose up to walk over to his friends, ''We need to find out what's going on in Zegnautus Keep. '' Ventus rasing his eyes to stare at Clarus, '' And how would you suggest we do that? None of our spies have been able to get into the Keep at all since its construction and there have been no Niflheim defectors that have had any knowledge concerning what goes on inside.'' He sighed heavily, feeling a headache start. 

Cor nodded, '' I think the only thing to do at this point is simply keep an eye on the movement to and from the Keep and see if we can figure out what is going on from what is brought in and the garbage that is sent out.'' Ventus and Clarus both frowned, unhappy at the suggestion but knowing that Cor was correct. While they were currently at peace with the Empire, that peace was tentative at best and any number of things could restart the long and costly war.

The two soldiers left soon after, biding the adviser a good evening before making their way back to their respective home. Cor was halfway to his apartment when he had a sudden inspiration. The Marshall sent a quick message to Ventus, asking the man to grant Sylva access to all the research about the Crystal and its magic. The nurse's argument with his King about the burden the Wall placed on his old friend had him thinking that Sylva might have thought about something that others had overlooked. It wouldnt surprise him considering her ability to think up wild but workable ideas at the snap of a finger. To see it apply to her current profession rather then simply pranks would surely be impressive and worth the effort. Ventus was a bit puzzled but agreed to it once Cor explained himself. 

The rest of the week passed by quickly as the King found himself filled with energy and able to follow the meetings with more ease then he remembered from the past year. That meant that he was able to do more work, dragging Ventus and Clarus around with him from meeting to meeting. He took Clarus' teasing about his new found energy with good natured grace; Regis knew he owed the nurse Sylva an apology and thanks for her help and advice. 

Noctis was also feeling much better since that afternoon, waking up to the sight of his father napping beside him with a rarely seen worry free expression on his face and been a welcomed shock. He had spent the time waiting for his dad to wake up thinking about Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, worrying about how they would act now that he had told him all his worries and fears. When he had been woken up by Ignis the next morning, after a full evening with his dad and no talk of work or duties, with a soft touch and a smile; the prince realised how foolish his worries had been.

Ignis had spent the evening with Gladio, doing some much needed research into chronic pain and back injuries, feeling guilty for not having done so before hand. Between both of them, they were able to come up with various ways of helping the prince lessen the burden on his body. Ignis vowed to keep track of Noctis' good and bad days and see if he could find a pattern of behaviors or things that would either increase or decrease his pain. He greeted the prince the next morning with a soft touch and a smile, having brought up the temperature of the bedroom to a bit higher then normal and asked Noctis how he was feeling that morning. The Prince's schedule didnt need to be changed by much, Ignis had simply added some extra breaks throughout the day to allow the prince to stretch at regular intervals. The future adviser did make a point of asking the prince how he was more often, asking for more details about his pain level as the days went by. 

Ignis even took the time to go talk with Mrs Sylva as she went about her job at the infirmary. Sylva listened to his questions and answer them as fully as she was able too. When Ignis had a question she couldnt answer, she helped the younger boy to find someone who could. She freely praised the teenager for his questions and interest in caring for his charge, leaving Ignis blushing as he left the infirmary to go to his lessons or to join Noctis.

Gladio had joined Ignis in his research, feeling equally guilty about his disregard for the young boy's previous injury while he had been training said boy. While Ignis looked into the details of chronic pain and back injuries, Gladiolus spent most of his evening looking through physiotherapy books and training books for people with limited movements. The more he read, the more he found himself stunned at how Noctis had been able to keep up with his expectations when he was also dealing with the left overs of a serious back injury. He felt anger rise both towards the stubborn prince who had not complained about the pain the training caused, only his boredom and dislike of it, and towards himself for not noticing or even thinking that the prince might be dealing with chronic pain. Gladio should have known or at least considered it when his own father dealt with the leftover of an injury to his sword arm during his trip with the King to Accordo. The trainer borrowed a pen and some paper from Ignis and started planning his new training regiment for the prince based on the suggestions he found for various things that would improve or at least not increase the pain felt from such chronic injury.

Prompto found the week to be peaceful as he was drawn into a schedule set up by Ignis and Gladio. Every morning while eating breakfast, the boy would text them a cheerful good morning. Within the hour, either Ignis or Gladio would arrive at his apartment to bring him to spend some time with Noctis before the prince had his lessons. Prompto had found himself following the prince to his lessons about various subjects. While the tutors werent happy by the sudden addition of the clueless commoner in their tutoring; Noctis found having Prompto around to help him learn more then he could have manged by himself. The blond boy was a constant source of questions and energy, asking questions that Noct wouldnt have dare do himself for fear of being looked down upon by his teachers. When the morning tutoring was done, Noctis would bring Prompto to one of the gardens and be joined by Ignis and Gladio for a picnic lunch if the weather allowed it. When Prompto had to go to his physio session, Cor had joined the boys, bringing the King, Clarus and Ventus to join in. 

The afternoon was divided by more tutoring and training for Noctis while Prompto would go read in the library until his parents were done with their work. The boys' evenings were often spent in the Prince's quarter playing games all together even if Ignis spent mos of that time working on his lessons. Prompto had been able to convince him to join in on the games quite a few times, to the cheers of the other 2. 

Sylva and Lance had no problem starting their new jobs. easily falling into the new pace of things that was more then welcomed to the small family as it allowed both adults to be there for supper with their son. They had no problems allowing Prompto to enjoy his days surrounded by his new friends and seeing the young boy be more involved and outgoing. A few days after her sudden mothering of the King, Sylva was visited by the royal adviser late one afternoon just before she was leaving to return to her home.

Ventus Scientia arrived bearing a box filled with various documents and files. the man dropped it unto her desk and offered the nurse a grin. '' Cor has spoken highly of you and has asked me to give you these.'' He motioned to the files. Sylva rose up and tookk the one of the top for a closer look, her eyes widening in surprise as she read the title, 'Resume on the Crystal's effect on human body and the royal line' Ventus nodding to her wordless question. '' These are all of the King's health files, all the tests done throughout the years as well as those of the prince's. In addition you will find documents pertaining to the Crystal and its magic. Cor has told me of your argument with the King and believes that this may prove useful to your interest in his health and continued well being.'' Sylva grinned, her eyes shining in excitement and she thanked the adviser for his trust before diving right into the files. That night, she arrived back home late, with a tired but thoughtful expression as she was greeted without a word by her husband.

By the end of the week, the atmosphere of the Citadel had changed quite a bit as all the staff and members of the various councils noticed the renewed energy and concentration that followed the King and his son as they went about their days. On friday evening, Noctis went to find his father, bringing with him some of Ignis' snacks. He knocked politely and waited for his father to answer him before entering the office. His father was leaning back on his chair, reading reports. Regis put them aside as he noticed his son enter, '' Is everything alright Noctis?'' Noct approached his father, nodding and then extending the box of snacks to him. '' Do you want some?'' he offered.

Regis chuckled, putting way the reports to turn his attention to his son. The young boy looked a lot better then a month ago, a small smile resting on his lips easily replacing the apathetic expression the prince used to wear. '' Some of Ignis'?'' he reached into the box to take on of the pastries out and taking a quick bite. Noctis nodded and made himself comfortable beside his father. '' I was thinking.... Can we invite Prompto and his family to eat with us on sunday?'' Regis glanced at his son, pondering the suggestion. The King had been trying to find a proper way to thank and apologize to Prompto's mother since he had realised how much the simple evening off had helped him recover from his exhaustion.

He finished swallowing the tasteful treat before answering, ''That is a wonderful idea, Noctis.'' The proud father reaching over to teasingly mess up his son's hair with a chuckle. ''Shall it be an official invitation?'' Noctis hurried to shake his head side to side as he said, '' No! Prompto hates that kind of thing.'' Regis chuckled again and reassured his son, '' Thats fine. I suggest you extend the invitation then.'' He spent a bit more time talking with his son before Ignis came to pick the prince up as it was a bit late.


	26. Supper

Noctis woke up early the next day to join Ignis in going to see Prompto in the morning. Prompto was shocked when he opened the door to find Noct smiling at him with Glaio and Ignis beside him. ‘’Morning Prompto.’’ Prompto stuttered a reply, ‘’ Good morning Noct.’’ He looked closely at the prince who still had a sleepy look in his eyes. ‘’ Is everything ok?’’ Prompto asked reaching out to Noct.

‘’ Oh, ya everything is fine I just wanted to talk with you and your parents? If that’s ok?’’ Noctis shuffled hesitantly. Prompto looked over at Ignis who nodded before smiling and moving out of the way, ‘’Oh, ok. Come in then!’’ The boy shouted toward the living room, ‘’Mom! Dad! We have guests!’’ Lance looked into the corridor leading to the apartment door and offering a smile when he noticed Prompto’s friends slowly coming in. ‘’ Your Highness! Welcome to our humble abode! Ignis, Gladio how are you all this morning?’’   
The three boys gave quick greeting in returns as they made their way in after Prompto. Noctis kept looking around, a bit startled at how small the apartment looked in comparison of what he was used to. Sylva was sitting at the dining table, turning to smile and greet the boys as they came in. ‘’ Well this is a surprise, what brings you all here?’’ Asked Sylva from her seat.

Ignis and Gladio grinned, going to stand by Noctis’ side in silent encouragement; waiting for him to talk up. Noctis hesitated, taking the time to take a deep breath before speaking, ‘’ I’d like to invite you all for supper tomorrow evening if you are available?’’ There was a surprised paused during which Sylva and Lance glanced at each other before the 2 adults shifted to look at their son. ‘’ Well, I don’t see why not but I think Prompto should be the one to decided.’’ Declared Lance, leaning on the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee. 

Prompto was grinning as he looked up at Noct, ‘’ I say yes!’’ Then he frowned, ‘’ Does that mean the King will be there too? Do we have to dress up nicely?’’ He wondered, looking around to his friends. Noctis replied quickly, trying to prevent Prompto from getting too worked up. ‘’Dad said he would be there, probably Clarus, Cor and Ventus too but you don’t have to worry about wearing anything particular. Its just a supper between friends, I think?’’ Prompto sighed in relief at Noct’s answer, making Ignis and Gladio chuckled a bit. Ignis took over explaining the details of the invitation, ‘’The supper is informal so please dress as you normally would for a day out. It would be appreciated if you could all arrive around 5 but supper will not be until 6 should you happen to be late. I believe that other than those people mentioned by the prince, Iris will also be attending.’’  
Gladio chuckled, ‘’ If me and dad are there then of course Iris will be too.’’ He smiled at the family before clapping his hands and declaring, ‘’ Well unless there are other questions, His Highness has training this morning. You can come with if you want Prompto, I talked with Dad and Cor about starting you on fire arms training if you’re still up to it?’’ Lance chocked on his coffee and Sylva gave a half glare at her son, ‘’ Fire arm training?’’ Prompto raised an arm to rub the back of his neck in embarrassment while Ignis glared at Gladiolus for his lack of forethought on the matter.

‘’I just thought it would be interesting?’’ Prompto mumbled, ‘’Its something I can use to protect myself even if I can’t run.’’ Sylva sighed, ignoring the startled stare of her husband and concentrating her attention on Gladiolus. Gladio tensed up, the glare from the nurse making him adopt a parade stance, both hands clasped behind his back and a straight forward gaze. ‘’And what do you think about this Gladiolus?’’ Gladio gulped and replied quickly, ‘’ I think it’s worth trying. Prompto has been attacked once before and he has become an important part of the Prince’s circle. As such I believe it would be in his best interest if he was to learn how to protect himself should the need arise.’’ Lance was staring in disbelief at the Shield then glanced at Ignis who had taken a few steps back to try and disappear behind the bigger teenager.

Sylva got up, took a single step forward towards the tense young man before grinning in amusement and declaring, ‘’ At least you talked with your father and Cor.’’ She pointed at him, ‘’ But if anything happens to Prompto under your care… Well let’s just say you’ll never have the chance to do so again.’’ With a self-satisfied nod, Sylva turned to her son and simply said, ‘’ I don’t mind but your health comes first so be careful and don’t overdo it. Deal?’’ Noctis and Prompto had been staring with shocked expressions at the whole exchange but Prompto’s expression soon turned to a loving smile at his mother’s words. ‘’ Of course mom! I’ll be careful but I want this too.’’

Lance sighed, wondering in amusement why he worried. He walked over to his son, clasping him on the shoulder, ‘’ If its what you want then I don’t mind but do be careful. Guns of any kind are dangerous things.’’ Prompto nodded, giving both his parents a hug before leaving with a still tense Gladio, amused Ignis and shocked Noct towards the indoor training hall. Lance watched them leave and muttered, ‘’ When did he grow up so much?’’ Sylva overheard the comment and laughed, approaching her husband and giving him a kiss, ‘’He was bound to eventually. All children do.’’

Cor was training in the hall when the four children arrived, he finished his current set with his weighted sword before turning around to greet the small group. ‘’ Morning your Highness, boys.’’ He wiped the sweat off his forehead before approaching the group. ‘’Good morning Cor!’’ Was Prompto’s cheerful reply followed by more formal greetings by the others. ‘’Here to train?’’ Asked Cor looking between Gladio and the prince. Noctis nodded wordlessly before heading toward the weapon stand to pick his usual practice sword up.   
Gladio bowed to the Marshall, ‘’ Yes sir, I can go elsewhere if you require the room?’’ Cor shook his head, ‘’ No I’m about done anyways. ‘’ The soldier turned to look at Ignis and Prompto, ‘’ And what about you two? Here for the show or…’’ Ignis and Gladio glanced at each other before Gladio answered, ‘’Prompto was ready to start his fire arm training, Ignis was going to supervise it while I dealt with his Highness’ training.’’ Ignis nodded and Prompto grinned in excitement. Cor hummed and decided, ‘’ In that case, I’ll stay around and help introduce Prompto to his new weapons. I can check how Ignis’ own training is progressing while I do.’’ He pointed with his thumb to Noctis, the prince already doing a few warm up. Gladio got the message clearly and after a short bow, he headed to start the day’s training.

With that out of the way, Cor brought the 2 other boys with him through an iron door and into a long windowless hall. The far end of the hall had several targets, most already bullet filled from previous training sessions. Prompto stared at the rows and rows of educational posters on the walls teaching everything from how to hold a gun to how to clean it. Ignis allowed a small smile to grace his face as he watched the excited Prompto wheel himself around the room carefully. The older teen turned to look at Cor, waiting for instructions since he had offered to check his own abilities with a gun.

Cor grinned at Prompto’s interests before he turned his attention to Ignis, ‘’What have you done so far?’’ The Marshall asked. Ignis thought for a moment before replying, ‘’I have been concentrating most of my time with small handguns, crossbows and throwing daggers. I’m afraid I find it difficult to handle the recoil of bigger fire arms despite several attempts to rectify the problem.’’ Cor nodded, ‘’Very well, in that case grab the last gun you’ve practiced with; set up a fresh target and go through 2 clips at your own pace. I’ll be with Prompto if you need anything. ‘’ He waited until Ignis nodded his understanding and had grabbed the proper safety equipment before turning to Prompto and figuring out where to start. The next hour was filled with the sound of gun shots, laughter from Prompto and left Prompto with a healthy respect of long ranged weapons. 

The rest of the day passed by quickly and so did the following day until it was time for the Argentum family to go eat with the King and his retinue. Prompto had been nervous all day despite constant reassurance from his friends and parents; he was simply worried about what would happen when his mother saw the king again after their last meeting and the chaos that followed. Sylva was also worried but for other reasons¸ she had been working on the files and folders given to her by the royal adviser and had a few ideas she thought could help improve the health of the King. The nurse wanted to discuss it with the adviser before moving forward and proposing the ideas to the king himself but had been unable to reach the man due to the suddenly energetic king’s behaviors.

As the three made their slow way to the royal quarters where they would be eating and arrived a few minutes before 5. The guards at either side of the doors bowed and after knocking on the door, announced their arrival to the group inside. Everyone except for Cor were there, already spread out through the living room and talking with each other. Noctis paused the racing game he had been playing with Iris and Gladio to go greet Prompto. ‘’ Hey! Come play with us.’’ Noctis didn’t wait to drag Prompto over to the couch, Gladio shifting to make place for the blong to get out of his wheelchair and unto the sofa with a chuckle.

Sylva and Lance smiled as they watched Prompto be brought into the group sitting in front og the large tv before making their own way to greet their host. ‘’ Your Majesty.’’ Sylva and Lance both bowed to the man. ‘’ Mr and Mrs Argentum. I am glad you could join us tonight.’’ Sylva glanced at the king with a pensive look, ‘’ You look much better than the last time we meet, your majesty.’’ Sylva couldn’t resist the teasing tone or amused smile as she straightened and she wasn’t the only one. Clarus gave a short barking laugh at the comment while Ventus simply smiled and took a drink from his glass of wine. Regis looked somewhat apologetic and after clearing his throat gave the nurse a bow of his own, ‘’ I believe I owe you an apology for my words and actions earlier this week. You were correct when you said I was overworked and that resting would only benefit me. ‘’ Sylva was a bit surprised; she had not expected the apology but was graceful in her acceptance of it. ‘’ I am glad I did not oversteps too much by my actions. I was simply worried about your health and wished to be of assistance even if it meant being a bit firm in my actions.’’

Lance sighed, looking at his wife with adoring eyes before saying, ‘’I believe that your definition of firm might need some working on, dear. My understanding was that you were more than just firm and went into the realm of blackmailing the king with his own son.’’ The group stared at the man and then at the suddenly blushing nurse before everything dissolved into laughter. Sylva reached out to swat at her husband in mock anger. The conversation turned towards more mundane things such as the changes the parents had noticed in their children since the Argentum’s arrival at the Citadel.

On the sofa, Prompto was cheering for Noct as he tried to outrace Gladio and Iris through a curving road made of rainbows. Gladio and Noct kept bumping each other out of first place with Iris close behind with the help of Ignis whispering advice to the young girl. The race ended with a win for Iris as she unleashed a special attack at the last moment, throwing both older racers off the road to claim victory. Iris demanded a kiss from the other players as reward for the win, which lead to the beginning of a short game of tag between Gladio and his sister. Prompto leaned heavily on Ignis as he laughed to tears before wrestling the controller out of Noctis’ hand and offering it to Ignis. The children kept themselves occupied with the racing games, each victor proclaiming a prize to be given to them by their opponents. The prize kept getting wilder and wilder with each passing turn. Ignis asking for the others to speak exclusively in rhymes while Gladiolus asked that he be giving a massage the one time he managed to win. 

Cor arrived late after having been stopped by Rhane on his way to the supper with some news about a group of possible Niflheim spies seen gathering in the refugee sector of the city. He had ordered for additional Crownguards to be sent to monitor the group and arrest them if they were spotted doing anything illegal. He hesitated about whether he should go with them or go to the supper as he had promised but Rhane simply smiled and teased him about his going to keep an eye out for the King’s safety around the fiery nurse Sylva.

The Marshall was greeted by everyone as he made his way to stand beside his King, ‘’ You’re late. Why is that?’’ Asked Ventus with a sharp look. Clarus looked at the Marshall as the man answered, ‘’ Nothing serious, just some new information about something we’ve been keeping an eye out for.’’ Everyone except Lance and Sylva shared a concerned look, knowing what the soldier meant without him having to say it out loud. Cor changed the subject, not wanting the non-combatants to feel worried or left out when they were supposed to be relaxing. ‘’ So what brought this on your Majesty? I cant remember the last time you decided to take 2 evenings off in the same week!’’

Regis gave a glare at his younger friend before answering, ‘’ Mrs Argentum made quite a convincing case about taking the time to relax in order to be more efficient. I believe you have seen the proof of her arguments.’’ Cor chuckled at the sullen tone of his king, ‘’ We did.’’ Ventus said with a smile, ‘’It was a welcome change to be honest. I must thank you Mrs. Argentum for your good work.’’ Sylva gave a grin back and bowed to the adviser, ‘’ I was only doing what I believed to be best for his Majesty.’’ After a few moments of hesitation she continued, ‘’I have finished looking through the files you have giving me. I do have some ideas that I would like to discuss with you soon.’’ Ventus nodded, ‘’ Of course, perhaps after supper we can find time to talk.’’ Any further talk was interrupted by a maid announcing that supper was ready to be served.


	27. Dinner

The adults entered the lavish dining room first, their children needing a reminder to pause their game and come over before they did so. The room was set up with two tables, a surprise to those who had previously eaten with the King. The first table was the one they were used to seen; a long expensive table that could easily fit a dozen guests without trouble. It was set up with the utensils and glasses crowded at the edge closest to the second table, one that was lower than the first. 

The reason for the second table became apparent when the children were herded by the maids towards it and Prompto found himself not need to move unto a dining chair since the table was at the perfect height to allow him to eat while in his wheelchair. Sylva and Lance shared a startled look before looking over at the King and Cor, both men having a satisfied look on their face at the sight of Prompto being comfortable at the lower table. As everyone took their place at either table, the adults at one with the children at the other, the maids and butlers started bringing in the food.

Prompto couldn’t believe his eyes at the amount of food being served, almost every space on their table was filled with plates containing different things from soups to salads to veggies which of course Noct ignored with vivid disgust. At first the young boy didn’t know what some of the things were but Ignis and Iris noticed his discomfort quickly and started explaining what the different plates had and what he might enjoy. ‘’This is boudin, its congealed blood. I don’t think you’ll like it.’’ Said Ignis, pointing at a wobbly jello like sausage. Iris smiled excitedly and pointed at a bunch of round shells doused in a clear yellow sauce, ‘’ These are snails! Real Snails! They’re kinda crunchy but very yummy.’’ Prompto made a disgusting face at the idea of eating snails of all things, Gladio and Noct jumping in to help Prompto chose different things to eat.

On the other table, Lance and Ventus were once more in deep conversation with one another, almost ignoring everyone else to discuss the merits of planning a detailed speech versus just the general outlines of one. Sylva shot a found look at her husband, checking up on her son every so often while sharing her own conversation with Cor, Clarus and Regis. ‘’Did you know Cor told us about you while on our trip? He never said your name but its pretty clear now who he was talking about.’’ Teased Clarus. Regis nodded at the questioning look from Sylva before adding, ‘’He and Cid had a running prank war throughout the trip. We were quite impressed with some of his pranks and insisted on knowing why he didn’t use his wiles while fighting.’’

Sylva chuckled while Cor grumbled with a deep blush spreading across his face, ‘’Cid started it, he added salt instead of sugar in my coffee…’’ Sylva shook her head, ‘’ Let me guess, you messed with his hair products?’’ Clarus and Regis gave a shocked look at the woman and she explained, ‘’ Some of the girls in my class were jealous that I had been chosen as class president and decided to switch my water bottle with one filled with a vinegar during our gym class’ 5k run test.’’ Cor sighed, ‘’Thankfully it was a stupid thing to do considering how much vinegar smells.’’ 

The king took a bite of his meal before he asked, ‘’ And what exactly did you do?’’ Sylva grinned and replied, ‘’ Nothing too drastic, I simply asked them to help me out with a project. Its not my fault their computer didn’t have a good firewall to prevent virus’ from taking sending a copy of their plans to sell drugs at prom to the whole school.’’ Clarus and Regis both chuckled at the as a matter of fact tone in which Sylva replied. Cor smiled fondly, ‘’I never quite understood how you managed to never get caught when you pulled your solo pranks.’’ Sylva shoved her friend with a huff, ‘’It’s called skill and patience Marshall, something I am not surprised to learn you know nothing off.’’ Regis chocked at the comment, staring wide eyed at the playfulness he rarely saw in the youngest member of his personal retinue.

He and Clarus shared a confused look as they observed the duo of old friends more carefully. Cor had a look of almost adoration in his eyes when he looked at the nurse while she had a constant look of amusement and caring in hers. Clarus glanced over to look at Lance, still deep in conversation with Ventus. Regis looked over to the table where their children were chatting and enjoying their meal before he returned to look at the couple in front of him. He cleared his throat and hesitantly asked, ‘’ Were you two… a couple?’’  
This time it was Sylva and Cor who choked, both sporting a look of disgust and pure shock. Cor looked at his king as he almost shouted, ‘’What? No!’’ Sylva doing the same, ‘’With Cor? Never!’’ Clarus and Regis shared another look of confusion, ‘’Is that so?’’ asked Clarus incredulous. Sylva leaned back, closing her eyes in despair, ‘’And here I thought being married would solve this problem…’’ Cor sighed and shook his head, ‘’ Sylva and I are friends nothing more and we never have been or intend to.’’ Regis blushed slightly, ‘’My apologies then, its simply the look you both share when together is rather… unusual for friends.’’

Sylva looked at the men blushing in embarrassment, ‘’You aren’t the first people to make that assumption but Cor is too much like a brother for me to ever entertain such thoughts.’’ She gave a quick flash of disgust before taking her wine glass and emptying it in one shot. Cor nodded, ‘’I was never one to be interested in romance of any kind.’’ Regis bowed in apologies while Clarus simply nodded, still embarrassed. The rest of the supper passed without further embarrassment from any of the adults though the arrival of the desserts almost started a food fight among the children.

As Noctis was being lectured by an irritated Ignis, wiping ice cream cake from his shirt with annoyed gestures. Gladiolus was doing the same with Iris, gently cleaning her dress where some of the cake had been allowed to fall without care while Prompto chuckled at the sights. Lance smiled at the childish antics before Ventus said, ‘’ You have a wonderful family, you must be proud of them both.’’ Lance smiled as he turned his attention to him, ‘’ I am though I regret not having spent as much time as I wanted with them before all of this, ‘’ he motioned with his hand in an open gesture, ‘’Both me and Sylva were so busy, trying to make sure Prompto had everything he needed but we were rarely home and neither of us realized how much that hurt Prompto until it was almost too late.’’

Ventus listened carefully, nodding in understanding as his own eyes went to look at his nephew, ‘’ I understand completely. My duties to the King keep me busy and leave me little time to see my nephew but at least I knew that he had the prince as company.’’ They watched as Ignis finished lecturing his charge, giving the prince another piece of the cake while Prompto leaned forward to chat excitedly with Gladio about something. Lanced nodded before he noticed his wife approaching, ‘’Ventus, is this a good time to talk?’’ Ventus looked up and nodded, ‘’ Of course Mrs Argentum. Thank you for the wonderful conversation Lance. Please follow me.’’

With a parting nod to his friend, Ventus left the dining room with Sylva and headed for his Majesty’s office. He took the time to lock the door before turning to look at the nurse. ‘’ What is it you wish to discuss?’’ Sylva sat down in one of the chairs and took a deep breath before starting. ‘’ I went through most of the files and I have a list of tests I would like to have his Majesty do in order to better understand the burden the Wall imposes on his body.’’

Ventus sat down across the nurse, taking out a pen and some papers before motioning her to continue, Sylva does with a brief pause. ‘’ My current theories on the price of magic is based on the fifth report concerning Glaive training and the increase in hunger after the initiation into magic. I believe that the use of magic causes the body to hypermetabolise calories as a way to create the necessary energy for magic to be created within the person using it. As such I believe the first thing to do is do a standard calorie count for a week and then introduce a hyper-caloric diet to the king and see if the diet causes an improvement in symptoms.’’

The nurse watched as Ventus took his notes before continuing, ‘’I believe that we can slow down the muscle damage that the King seems to suffer with the use of physical therapy and managing his stress level more accurately. ‘’ She grinned, ‘’ We saw the results a single night of rest with the prince made in his health and energy levels. As such I propose you introduce a mandatory evening off every week unless there is an emergency that absolutely requires him to be involved. I believe that having a full day off every two or three weeks will also be helpful.’’ Ventus smirked, ‘’ It will be hard to convince his majesty to take the days off without a fuss despite his newfound understand of its usefulness.’’  
Sylva laughed, ‘’ I don’t recall saying we should ask him for permission about that point.’’ Ventus gave a shocked look before a wide grinning smile spread on his face, ‘’ I see. That would be quite easy to manage since I make his schedule. I can arrange thing so that myself and Clarus take up more of the burden and allow his Majesty to retire early at least once every week.’’ Sylva hummed and proposed, ‘’ Use my husband too.’’ Ventus looked at her, ‘’ Pardon me?’’ She grinned, ‘’ Lance has managed his own company on top of his job as a speaker. He is very efficient and would enjoy the challenge.’’

Ventus frowned, he had kept an eye on Lance since he had started his new job and had done a tremendous job so far but it was simply paperwork, mostly verifying the language used in treatise but there were many others who could do the same job. ‘’ I will consider it and talk with your husband about it.’’ Sylva smiled, ‘’ I doubt he’ll say no but by all means. As for his Majesty, when do you think you’ll be able to talk with him about it?’’ Ventus thought for a bit before saying, ‘’Since the only thing you have requested is a calorie count to begin with, I can order the cooks and maids that serve him to keep track. I’ll discuss the change in diet this week, if he refuses we can try approaching one of the glaives to see if your theory is correct. The scheduling will be handled by me and Clarus as for your suggested physical therapy, perhaps we can ask Cor to help on that side.’’

Sylva nodded in agreement, the advisers plan seemed fine to her and would hopefully help the King. Ventus finished writing a few things before pocketing the notes, lifting his eyes to meet Sylva’s and inquired, ‘’What about your son? I believe he agreed to being part of the cure research on the Star Scourge.’’ Sylva tensed for a bit before relaxing and explaining, ‘’ He has but I have asked the researcher to make do with the results of his blood test for now until he has regained his mobility. I want him to feel that he can walk away if he needs or wants too without needing help to do so.’’ Ventus nodded in understanding, ‘’ I see. Let me know if they start pressing you or your family on the matter.’’ Sylva nodded and both left the office to rejoin the others who had now moved back into the living room.

Ventus stopped at the door way, staring as he saw his king sitting on the sofa with his son on his lap, both Caelums with controllers in their hands. Clarus and Gladio were sitting not far away with the remaining controllers, a fighting game on the screen while the non players were encouraging either team with shouts. Sylva laughed as she moved to join her husband and Prompto, Prompto cheering for Noctis and his father while Lance jokingly took for the Amiticia pair. The friendly family feud continue with the Scientia being drawn into a battle with Lance and Prompto . Sylva teamed up with Cor and then Iris for fun before things devolved into one on one fighting. The living room was soon filled with shouts and groans as everyone had the chance to play.

The night finished late with Clarus picking up a sleeping Iris and softly pushing Gladiolus in front of him to return home. Prompto had been woken up as Sylva and Lance bid their farewell of the Royal family and Sylva insisted on making this a regular affair despite some half hearted attempts by Regis to deny the request. Ventus waited until Ignis had finished checking up on a sleeping Noctis before bringing his own sleepy nephew to their own rooms. Cor didn’t return home right away, dropping by to check on the state of stake out in the refugee sector. As soon as he opened the door he was assaulted by the chaos inside. Rhane taking a single look at him before saying, ‘’ Perfect timing. You need to see this.’’ While extending a paper she had been looking at to the tired Marshall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hypermetabolic = increase use of energy that causes stress on the body  
> Calories =unit of energy often associated with food  
> Hypercaloric diet= diet that increase the calories eaten by a person to help gain weight or give more energy for intense activity.
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading this fic and all the comments. I think this first part will soon end and I'll move unto the next part of the Chocobros adventures together. As such I would like your opinion on how to write it. I am wondering whether it might be better for me to make the next section into a series of interconnected drabbles with an overall plot. (Ex: one chapter would be about starting high school (age 14-15) and the next one could be about their first trip to an arcade (13yrs) )  
> What do you think?


	28. ALC?

Cor took the piles of papers Rhane extended to him, carefully looking at it. At first he wasn’t sure what he was looking at but as he continued to read the words printed black on white, his hands started trembling and a low growl was heard causing the whole room to fall silent as the Crownguards witness the budding furry of their Marshall. Cor lifted his eyes from the paper, fixing an angry stare at Rhane, ‘’ Is this real?’’ He asked in a growl. Rhane swallowed, mouth suddenly dry as she replied, ‘’We are still verifying the authenticity of the documents received but those we have been able to authenticate are completely true.’’

Cor forced himself to calm down, locking away his anger to be dealt with later, and continued reading. The documents in his hands are reports from Niflheim spies existing within Lucian borders. The reports date back to a month after the rise of the Wall by Regis and continue until a month ago. The names are obviously code names, meaning that they would have to find who the spies were from the details they had provided their master and that could take a lot of time. As Cor moved to sit down at his desk, he muttered, ‘’ If only we had the code name list.’’ His second in command cleared her throat uneasily before she told Cor, ‘’ We do.’’

Cor’s head jerked up, ‘’ What?’’ Rhane nodded and slowly extended a hand toward the stack of paper to carefully pick one from near the bottom of the pile before giving it to Cor. The Marshall grabbed it and look at the double columns filled with code names and corresponding full names. Rhane courageously spoke up through the lingering silence of the room, ‘’ I have already ordered a full investigations on the names giving by the list.’’ Cor nodded absent minded as he mentally tallied the names he felt were familiar as he went down it. As he reached the end of the code name list, the final name made him tense up and almost growl again barely containing the shocked anger at seeing someone he knew closely to be accused as a spy.

Beside the hated name of General Glauca, one of the leaders of the Niflheim armies, sat the name of Drautos,Titus. ‘’Rhane.’’ Cor’s tone was deceptively quiet and calm even if his outrage and anger in his eyes betrayed his emotions. Rhane gave a crisp salute out of reflex, ‘’ Sir!’’ Cor ignored the salute, ‘’I want priority on Drautos. I want to know his every movement since the day he arrived in Insomnia. Everything he has every bought, everything he has ever touched. Is that understood?’’ This time almost everyone in the room saluted the man and replied, ‘’ Yes Sir!’’ Cor leaned back, looking to a side room where several figures were bent over a table, the room in which intelligence specialists gathered to analyze any information the Crownguard received.

As the room finally started moving again, falling into the usual organised chaos that came from urgent situations in the military, Rhane dared to ask her commanding officer a question, ‘’ Shall we contact His Majesty to warn him of your arrival in his quarters?’’ Cor frowned and thought carefully, a month ago he wouldn’t have hesitated but now… ‘’ Shit she is going to kill me.’’ The soldier muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose as he wondered if the angry lecture Regis would undoubtedly give him was worth not getting Sylva mad at him. The answer came easily enough, yes he could manage Regis’ anger. He might not survive Sylva’s.

Cor looked at Rhane, ‘’ No, this stays in house for now. I will warn Ventus and Clarus personally but until we have absolute confirmation on this information I will not bother the King with this speculation.’’ It was only half a lie, as he took out his phone and sent a quick text to the two he had just mentioned, inviting them to meet for an early breakfast the next morning to be briefed on a new threat to the Kingdom. He was so lost in thought the soldier didn’t notice the surprise look that filled Rhane’s face as she muttered under her breath, ‘’She?’’ 

Cor frowned as he remembered an important question that was still unanswered, ‘’ How did you get these files?’’ Rhane matched the expression on his face, ‘’The Niflheim refugees we were monitoring had gathered because they each received a package filled with documents, accompanied by a large amount of gils and precise instruction of how to give it to us. The Crownguards collected the letters they all received but it was type by a common machine and signed ALC. I doubt we’ll be able to trace where it comes from.’’ Cor sighed, ‘’ ALC. Very well, lets start going through everything and seeing what need to be prioritized.’’

Making his way with Rhane to join the specialist, Cor lost track of time as he helped read, classify and prioritize everything they had. The documents held state secrets, radio frequencies, locations of safe houses, numbers of troops; one of the boxes was even filled by research notes concerning the Star Scourge. Cor marked it to be sent to Sylva at her research office first thing in the morning. Another file he took for himself was a thin file with a simple series of numbers on top, one that Cor recognized with a moment of pure panic. He read the first page before closing his eyes and muttered a quick prayer to the Astrals. He waved off the concerned gazes of his fellow Crownguards, slipping the file into his personal folder to be kept on his person until it got into the proper hands.

By the time all the documents had been sorted out and the ones needing immediate attention sent to the proper people the lone clock in their room marked the 5th hour of the morning. Cor groaned, leaning his head back unto the edge of his chair as he muttered, ‘’ Definitively going to kill me.’’ With another groan, the Marshall ordered everyone to get some rest while he went to get some badly needed coffee and a cold shower. He had received a reply from Ventus and Clarus to meet them both at 6 am in Ventus’ office which meant he had to get moving if he wanted to traverse the Citadel to the small corner Ventus had long ago claimed as his own.

He arrived there right as the old grandfather clock Ventus had struck the last chime, given both men a tired waved as he tried to hide his yawn behind his coffee cup. Ventus frowned, ‘’Cor? You look like you haven’t slept at all.’’ Cor muttered, ‘’ Because I haven’t.’’ Without another word, the Marshall dropped the folder he had prepared throughout the night, listing all the information gathered in broad terms as well as a copy of the reports and list of the supposed spies within the Crown City.

Clarus walked to stand behind Ventus as the adviser opened the file and started reading it, their curiosity and worry slowly becoming anger and outrage at the information held within its bindings. Clarus slammed his fist into the desk, ‘’How did so many get through our protections?’’ Ventus interlaced his fingers, elbows on his desk and leaned his forehead unto his hands. ‘’Considering the amount found here, I would say a mix of smugglers, inside recruitment and bribery though some may have simply been that good as spies.’’ Clarus growled, ‘’ Regis needs to know. Why isn’t he here?’’ The Shield looked at Cor with narrowed eyes. Cor chuckled, ‘’We hadn’t confirmed anything until early this morning.’’ He took a swig of his coffee, ‘’Not to mention, I’d rather not get killed by Sylva for dragging Regis out of a proper night’s rest.’’ Ventus smiled in understanding while Clarus sighed and shook his head.

‘’Then I will alert His Majesty about this situation when I see him this morning. For now I believe we should commence by sending all the Kingsglaive away outside the city until we can ascertain who is loyal and who might be traitors under Drautos’ command.’’ Declared Ventus. Clarus got up to his full height and crossed his arms, ‘’ Lets send the Kingsglaive to do some maneuver at the Disc of Cauthess. Drautos was complaining about the newest recruit not having enough training when it came to marching and co-op maneuvers. It will keep them out for at least 2 weeks, long enough to do a thorough investigation.’’ It didn’t take long for both Ventus and Cor to agree, allowing the three men to finally eat breakfast while discussing the details of the files given by their anonymous friend.

By the time Ventus and Clarus had to leave to meet with Regis for the usual morning meeting, Cor was completely exhausted. He struggled getting to the small rooms he kept at the Citadel, falling sleep the moment his head touched his pillow. Waking up 4 hours later, Cor felt better and returned to his office. On his way there, he checked his phone and was surprised to see a message from Sylva waiting for him. It read, ‘Meet me at our park for lunch. I’ll bring it. Don’t be late!’ making Cor smile as he pushed open the door and giving a quick reply to confirm the meeting. The next hour passed by quickly as he read through what had been found since he had left in the early morning and all too soon, Cor left to meet Sylva as agreed.

The park his childhood friend had implied was a park sitting on the northern edge of the Citadel. It was opened to the public but most often used by lovers as a make out place since it was created in such a way that there were several hidden spaces from where a couple could safely enjoy themselves while being able to hear should someone approach them. Cor and Sylva had often slipped through the maze like park, trying to sneak up to some of the couples and hiding to plan their own pranks. Of course Cor now knew that almost 70% of the people who were seen entering the park were actually working for the Crown as information broker and spies meeting with their handlers.

The Marshall double checked that he had the file he meant to give Sylva before he entered the maze and headed straight for the middle of the park. It was their usual meeting spot within the park as it was rarely used by anyone due to it being the farthest place to reach from any of the gates. He was the first to arrive and sat down on the old wooden bench with a sigh, waiting for his friend to show up. It took lees then 10 minutes for Cor to hear the familiar whistling sound of Sylva’s chocobo song. She appeared, dressed in her work scrubs with a plastic bag in hand.

‘’Hey Cor.’’ She stopped looking closely at him before shaking her head, ‘’didn’t get much sleep last night I see.’’ Cor chuckled, not moving from where he was, ‘’It was worth it.’’ Sylva huffed, ‘’Right. Now I got something for you. Hands out!’’ Cor lifted an eyebrow in curiosity, lifting both hand to form a cup, expecting to receive a lunch box of some kind. And yet when Sylva grinned in wicked amusement and dropped a small package in his hands, Cor’s mouth fell open at the sight.

In his hands were 5 aluminum wrapped condoms, Sylva laughed at Cor’s stunned expression and teased him happily, ‘’Its for your next rendez-vous with your new lover!’’ Cor sputtered, trying and failing to speak several times before his almost shriek rang out, ‘’New lover!’’ Sylva laughed and dropped down to sit beside Cor, she glanced at his face and laughed again while she took out their lunch. ‘’Its been the talk of the staff throughout the Citadel. The famous Immortal Cor has been felled by a lover, someone who has the audacity to send him naughty, naughty pictures in the middle of the day.’’

Cor groaned, not hesitating any longer as he slipped the ‘gifts’ from Sylva into his pocket before taking the offered food. ‘’There’s a betting pool isn’t there?’’ He muttered, his tone indicating that he had given up trying to understand the presence of the rumors already. Sylva smiled, taking a bite of the lunch Lance had prepared for both of them, ‘’ Of course!’’ Cor smirked, ‘’Odds?’’ The nurse grinned wickedly, ‘’ What do you want them to be?’’ Cor smirked, taking a bite of his own food while thinking about it, ‘’Hint that its not just one person.’’ Sylva stared at him before throwing her head back to laugh, Cor simple chuckling before continuing to eat as he waited for the prankster to stop.

‘’Oh dear, that is going to make quite a stir. Mind if I add a few juicy details?’’ Cor snorted, half choking at her seemingly innocent tone as she whispered the suggestion to him, ‘’Like the ones you started after I left with Regis?’’ Sylva smiled innocently and gave a single nod. Cor grinned in return, ‘’Sure, same split on the profits as usual?’’ Sylva leaned on his shoulders playfully, ‘’Of course love.’’ Cor shook his head at her foolishness but didn’t mind it much. A peaceful silence crept in as they both enjoyed their meal. As he finished the last bite, Cor took out his folder and gave Sylva the file he had kept for her. ‘’ Its yours, only read the first page so its up to you what you want to do with it. I can stay or leave.’’

Sylva took the time to put away the empty containers before reaching to take the offered folder. She glanced at the numbers written on top, eyes widening and she almost tore the first page off to read it. As she did, flicking carefully through the pages with trembling fingers and teary eyes, Cor carefully put his arms around her in unspoken support, keeping the contents of the documents out of sight. ‘’ Shit! Shit! Shit! Those bastards! How… How could they do this to a child? How could they?’’ Sylva trembled in rage and sorrow as she finished reading what Cor had given her.

Cor didn’t say anything, just offering unspoken support as she forced herself to take deep breath and wipe the tears that fell from her eyes. When she finally pulled away from the man, her eyes were blazing with conviction and barely contained hatred, she extended the file back to Cor. ‘’Read it then come over tonight. Prompto will take it better if you’re there to help make him feel safe.’’ Cor nodded, he pressed his forehead against Sylva’s and gave her a simple promise, ‘’ They’ll pay. I’ll even let you take a turn at any of the bastards we take alive.’’ Sylva’s answering grin was positively vicious. ‘’ Thank you.’’

Cor and Sylva returned to work, Cor waiting until he was in his office to read the file for the first time. He could understand why Sylva was so enraged as he read the description of Prompto’s first 11 months of life within the laboratory of Zegnaustus Keep as a biological progeny of their lead scientist Verstael. There were detailed explanation of the gradual introduction of daemon blood into the maternal milk given to the newborn and its ensuing side effects. It told Cor of how Prompto was selected to be disposed of when his body showed signs of rejecting the attempted genetical modifications that made a newborn into a future receptacle for the strain of Star Scourge that resulted into mindless Magitek Infantry. The only reason Cor was able to keep his cool was by remembering the look in Sylva’s eyes and his promise to her. He was looking forward to watching his childhood friend have some time with their future prisoners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rendez-vous are french words used to denote a place to meet or an appointment.
> 
> You guys get another glimpse into Sylva and Cor's past. Anyone want to guess what were the rumors Sylva started about Cor?


	29. Kingsglaive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a longer then normal chapter as sorry for not posting yesterday but also because this is the before last chapter for this first part of the Cure Au. I'm so happy with how many people seem to be enjoying this fic and I cant thank you all enough for staying along for the ride.

Cor’s afternoon passes by quickly, he checks in with Regis and leaves Ventus a copy of everything that has been confirmed by his agents. The order to the Kingsglaive has been given and they would leave in 3 days to spend time improving their training in the mountains of Cauthess. The time would be spent re investigating all the Glaives, young and old with a focus on those Drautos had seen often. Regis was paler then Cor would have liked but the King glared at him with a stern warning not to go about speaking about unnecessary concerns; Cor simply smirked and gave the king a bow before leaving.

There was no need for him to say anything to Sylva, she had her own ways of learning how any of her patients were fairing regardless of her proximity of them. He was proven correct when he passed the nurse in the corridor leading to the king’s more public office. Cor smiled at her expression and simply mouthed ‘’Have fun!’’ , making her chuckled as she waved at him. The Marshall continued on his way, stopping only for a short while when he heard the sound of a loud exaggerated groan that was quickly cut off as the heavy soundproof door closed behind the nurse.

With very little to do while his Crownguards did the leg work on the matters at hand, Cor opted to go see Prompto and spend some time with the young boy until supper. He headed for the library, looking through the vast space filled with rows and rows of books, the soldier rarely spent time here unless he was desperate for some peace and quiet without leaving the Citadel. He didn’t find the child within its silent sanctuary and so he headed towards the Prince’s quarters. As he approached the doors to the royal suite, Cor allowed a smile to light his face at the delightful sound of laughter spilling from the once dreadfully silent rooms.

His hand stopped before he could knock, his mind remembering the last time he had heard Noctis’ laughter before Prompto’s arrival at the Citadel. It had been far too long since laughter had visited the hall of the Royal home and he gave the Astrals a quick prayer in thanks for the arrival of his new nephew. He gave a quick and short knock before he entered the room.

Cor found Prompto sitting at what was quickly becoming his usual place on the sofa beside the young prince. His entrance was greeted by a wide smile and happy shout, ‘’Uncle Cor!’’ Cor grinned, ‘’ Hey Prompto, Noctis.’’ He looked around and spotted Ignis entering followed by Gladio, both carrying snacks and drinks. ‘’Boys.’’ Gladio shot the soldier a quick grin while Ignis half-bowed to the older man, ‘’Marshall.’’

Prompto leaned over the side of the couch to look at his uncle, ‘’ Is everything ok Uncle?’’ the boy frowned a bit, ‘’You look stressed.’’ Cor offered a smile to Prompto, helping the older boys bring their prizes to the table in front of the sofa, ‘’Just saw your mom in one of her nursing moods heading to the King’s office.’’ Prompto muttered a small ‘’Ah.’’ While Noctis chuckled, ‘’Well at least Dad is going to be ok.’’ Cor grinned, ‘’ Of course he is, speaking of which how are you boys today? Not too tired from yesterday’s party I hope?’’ All the boys denied any ill effects from the late evening but Cor noticed the small yawn Noctis tried to hide.

Ignis looked over the living room table filled with various snacks and drinks; some healthier than others less so before he turned to the Marshall, still standing on the side of the couch beside Prompto, ‘’What brings you here Marshall?’’ Cor was startled out of his thoughts and had to straighten his mind before he could answer the young Scientia, ‘’My apologies Ignis, I wanted to check up on Prompto.’’ He turned to his nephew, ‘’Your mom invited me for supper tonight. Did you want anything in particular?’’

Prompto gave a shout of joy at the news that Cor would be joining them for supper and he thought about his Uncle’s request, ‘’Not really, I’m fine with anything.’’ Cor nodded, ‘’Alright then, try not to spoil your appetite for tonight.’’ Cor reached out to ruffle Prompto’s hair, ignoring the indignant squawk that followed as the boy tried to rearrange his hair back to its previous state. He nodded a goodbye to the older duo and gave a half bow to the prince before leaving Prompto to his friends with a promise to come pick him up later.

He still had another hour or so before Sylva was expecting him and Prompto for supper, plenty of time for him to go do some training. The training hall had some of the Crownguards training there including Monica who greeted the Marshall as soon he passed through the doors. Cor soon found himself fighting 5 of the guards at once as each of them tried to score a hit on their commander. By the end of the session, Cor was sweaty but content with the progress of those who were under his command. He took a quick shower and after sending a quick text to Sylva, went to grab Prompto to bring him back home.

Sylva and Lance were already there, helping each other cook within the apartment kitchen as Cor pushed Prompto towards the dining room table. ‘’Welcome back!’’ Lance greeted, detangling himself from his wife to go give his son a quick kiss and a hug. ‘’Need a hand with anything?’’ Cor offered but was quickly shut down by Sylva, ‘’Dont be silly! Supper is almost ready anyways.’’ Prompto tugged on Cor’s arm, ‘’I want to show you the room decorations Ignis got me! ‘’ Cor smiled, sending a quick glance at Sylva who meet his gaze with tired and worried eyes, before following the eager child to his room. Cor found the room covered in chocobo figurines, chocobo plushies and even some posters now hanging on the wall. The posters weren’t all about chocobos, some were about games or what appeared to be music bands that Prompto had mentioned before. It wasn’t long before Lance came to fetch them for supper.

The supper itself was lively as Cor and Sylva inevitably found themselves teasing each other while being egged on by Lance and Prompto but there was only so much that could be done before Cor found himself thinking about the reason for his presence here. He helped clean the dishes as Sylva and Lance brought Prompto into their living room. By now the boy had sensed that there was something wrong, making him shift uneasily and keep glancing between all the adults. An uneasy silence fell across the room, only broken by the sound of Cor placing dishes into the washing machine until Prompto couldn’t deal with it anymore and asked with a trembling voice, ‘’Whats going on?’’

Cor slowly straightened where he was, taking a deep breath and leaving the rest of the dishes on the counter in order to go kneel in front of a confused Prompto. Sylva and Lance put their arms around their son as Cor slowly took out a now familiar file and laid it on Prompto’s lap. ‘’Do you remember me telling you that I was looking into that tattoo of yours and what it meant?’’ Cor asked in a soft voice, Prompto nodded hesitantly, his eyes drawn to the file. Cor motioned to it, ‘’We found something and its not very pleasant.’’ Cor forced himself to swallow and take another deep breath before continuing, ‘’You were born as the son of Versteal Besithia and an unknown mother, to be put into one of the mad scientist’s new experimental Magitek programs.’’

Prompto eyes widen as he choked off a strangled sob, his parents quick to try and reassurance their son while Cor took the boy’s hand in his own. ‘’This doesn’t change a thing Prompto. Where you came from, who your biological parents where; none of that changes your memories, your personality or your love for us nor ours for you.’’ Prompto did start crying at that, leaning into the loving hugs from his family as they murmured loving words and reassurances. The crying didn’t last too long compared to the last time Prompto had received similar news; the boy not panicking but rather crying from the relief that came from finally having answers to some of his questions rather than from fear or panic.  
Prompto pushed himself out of the embrace to wipe his eyes, ‘’Thanks for telling me this.’’ Cor was more than a little surprised at how clear Prompto’s gaze was so soon after hearing about his origins. Sylva shared a worried glance with her husband, ‘’Are you ok Prompto? Do you need anything?’’ Asked Lance, shifting so he could see his son’s face better. Prompto shook his head, ‘’I’m ok. You said it yourself, this doesn’t change who I am.’’ Sylva gave a sigh of relief before dragging her son into a long tight hug, ‘’You are amazing and I love you so much.’’ She muttered in his ear, drawing a giggle from the squirming blond, ‘’Mom! Too tight!’’ he complained half heartedly. Lance and Cor shared an amused gaze, the marshal getting back to his feet, intent on returning to finish the dishes while the Argentum family play fights on the sofa.

Prompto looked at the file still resting on his knees, making his mind up to read it once his arents were asleep but for now Prompto put it all aside to enjoy the rest of the evening with the only family that mattered to him. A small part of him wished Noctis, Ignis and Gladio could be with him but his parents and uncle were enough for the moment, he could talk with the guys tomorrow. With his mind made up, Prompto leaned into his mother’s embrace and smugly suggested they all play a card game. Cor grinned and suggested ‘’What about a game of Poker?’’ Sylva shot a surprised look at the man while Prompto gave a confused look at his uncle, ‘’Whats Poker?’’ Lance sighed, knowing at a glance what was going to happen for the rest of the night. That was how Prompto was introduced to poker and all its wonders. He also ended up finding out he had a really good poker face that allowed him to win almost half of their games and had Cor promise to bring him to visit a chocobo farm within the year.

The next three weeks were quite busy for everyone, Cor dealing with the increase in information and the lack of Kingsglaive to increase the personnel when he was short staffed while Sylva had gotten through all the reports on the research done by the Niflheim Empire on the Star Scourge. By the second week of having access to the information, Sylva and her team had already created several theoretical cures by combining the Nif based research with the data they had from Prompto’s initial blood test. Prompto had insisted to give some more blood and start the testing they needed to commence their own research. Sylva had hesitated but after finding Prompto in the laboratory with Ignis talking with one of the doctors involved in the project she finally agreed to it and helped start the process.

On his side, Prompto found himself joining Noctis more and more often for his study sessions throughout the day instead of only in the mornings. Cor would always take the time to meet Prompto for his rehab sessions, where the boy was slowly regaining movement in his lower limbs and could now take a few steps in between the parallel bars used for such exercises. The other thing that Cor always made time for was training Prompto with fire arms where Prompto found he had a natural talent for it. When he first realized it, Prompto was hesitant to continue as he remembered the report about the modifications to his DNA to make him into a better soldier but his worries were soon calmed by his friend and family.

After his talk with Sylva, Ventus rearranged Regis’ schedule to ensure that he had every Friday night free in order to have supper with his son and a relaxing night without the stress of his duties as King to stress him out, a time where the man could simply be a father for his son. He enlisted his nephew to help rearrange the prince’s own schedule to match his father’s new weekly day off. Ventus and Clarus also talked to their friend about trying out Sylva’s idea of a new diet to see if it would help him reduce the strain caused by keeping the Wall up at all times. It took some convincing from their part as Regis was reluctant to believe that a change of diet would help him with the almost constant exhaustion and strain that he had felt since first raising the Wall to protect Insomnia almost 20 years ago. In the end, it was Noctis who begged his father to at least give it a try that convinced the man to agree to the test. 

The cooks were informed of the need to change the King’s diet to one created with the help of Sylva, a doctor and a nutritionist. It meant more work for the kitchen staff but no one complained when the reason for the change, a possible way to help their king feel better, was explained by Clarus and Ventus themselves. The Citadel staff banded together, determined to do their part to help His Majesty, a man who everyone knew overworked for the sake of his country and citizens. 

The maids and butlers started interrupting meetings to bring the King preplanned snacks and drinks and waiting until he had eaten everything he was supposed to before leaving the room. The bureaucrats of the Citadel put even more effort in their work, going through all the papers that allowed the city to run smoothly, keeping track of the amount of papers that were on his Majesty’s desk at all time and every so often cleaning the desk completely to leave well made resumes of all the documents Regis had been expecting to have to read. Even the Citadel guards took part in the new game, keeping the kitchen informed on the King’s location when he moved from one room or meeting to another or letting the bureaucrats know when the King seemed overwhelmed with papers from meetings.

Regis Lucis Caelum was surprised by the effort everyone around him seems to put into helping him manage his work and new diet. He found himself smiling more and thanking every one of the staff who made the effort to help him with one thing or another. The diet combined with the amazing help he received showed considerable improvement in his health. Within a week of the changes, Regis found himself waking up filled with energy and in much less pain then he ever remembered in decades. The first such morning, Regis found himself sneaking up to a sleepy Noctis and picking the young boy up in his arms for the first time in years for no reason. ‘’Dad!’’ Shrieked the surprised prince, his shout turning to helpless laughter as Regis started tickling him. Regis joined in on the laughter, settling Noct on his lap as they both ate breakfast with a smile on their faces.

Sylva soon became a known fixture in the King’s retinue, checking in on the man at least once a day and bringing him updates on the research about the possible cure. She was more than happy to announce to everyone when the King’s weight finally reached a normal weight for a man of his height. The nutritionist decided to change a few things now that his Majesty’s weight had returned to something healthier. Lance had joined Ventus’ personal staff, helping with any work that needed to be done, helping mostly by going to where ever they were missing staff and allowing Lance to work with almost everyone. 

On the night before the planned return and mass arrest of the traitorous Kingsglaive, Cor found himself woken a by a phone call at 3 am. It was Monica. ‘’What is it?’’ Cor asked, instantly awake as he pushed back the blankets off his body and starting to get ready. ‘’We received an emergency message from the Kingsglaive. They were attacked by a large army of daemon and during the chaos, the traitors turned on the Glaives commanded by Drautos. The survivors are on their way back and requesting aid from the Crown.’’ Cor swore, ‘’Send it but no Glaives enters the City without being cleared properly. Let the gate keepers know and make sure we have enough medical equipment to deal with anything including scourge infection.’’ 

As soon as Monica confirmed the orders and hung up, Cor called up Clarus, the sleepy voice of his friend answered after the first ring, ‘’ The traitors have shown their hands, an attack by daemons offered them the chance to turn on the others. The survivors are being picked up and brought to stay outside the Crown City until we clear them to return to inside Insomnia. Get Regis, I’ll get Ventus.’’ Clarus didn’t bother answering, hanging up on the Marshal to get moving. Cor finished getting dressed before contacting Ventus on his way to his car. He gave the adviser the same report once the man answered his phone.

By the time he arrived at the Citadel, Regis was up with Clarus at his side reading the report from Monica and the first wave of Crownguards sent to help the survivors were on their way to their last known position. ‘’This seems like unusually convenient timing.’’ Muttered Clarus. Ventus arrived at that moment, his hands already filled with papers, some of which he handed to Cor. ‘’I agree but there hasn’t been any leak on our side. I’m confidant of this.’’ Declared Monica from where she was kneeling in front of the King. ‘’Then that leave the possibility of the Nifs finding out about the leak from their side. Could they have found this mysterious ALC?’’ Regis wondered, handing the report to Ventus.

Cor shuffled, frowning before making a decision, ‘’ I’m going to go verify the situation personally, ‘’ he glanced at his king, ‘’unless you need me here?’’ Regis and Clarus shared a look before Regis drew himself up straight to talk with Cor, ‘’Go! Find what the situation is with the Kingsglaive and who remains loyal to the crown. As soon as they are safe, contact me and I will revoke their right to the magic I gifted unto them.’’ Cor gave a bow and left immediately, stopping only long enough to grab the ever prepared bag of necessities he kept in his office for such occasions. He sent Sylva a message letting her know he would be out of Insomnia for a while as he descended into the Citadel’s parking garage. The Marshal made his way to a slick black and silver motorcycle, a gift from Clarus after their return from Accordo that he rarely used. He put his bag into the seat compartment and ensured his sword was properly attached by his side before starting the bike and quickly leaving the city.

It didn’t take long for the Marshall to catch up to the first convoy and then pass it, heading straight for where Monica had registered the position of the distressed transmission from the Glaives. He heard the growls of the daemons before he could see the fighting that accompanied such sounds. The professional soldier pushed his bike faster as he rounded the bend and found himself arriving in the middle of a battlefield; shouts and roars filling the air with the stench of blood rose steadily from the blood soaked grounds.  
Cor didn’t hesitate, he gave his own shout ‘’ FOR THE KING!’’ Unsheathing his sword to cut down the first daemon that stood in his way. His arrival was noticed immediately by the closest Glaives who quickly took up the shout and made their way to stand by the Immortal Marshall’s side. Cor ditched his bike, leaving it on the ground as he wove his way through what seemed like an almost endless amount of daemons that rose from the night only to die on his blade. He kept an eye out for Glaives that might be traitors but soon noticed that the only Glaives around were being attacked by the daemons and were fighting back by his side. The part of his mind that tended to notice such things came to a startling conclusion, the traitor had used the daemons as a diversion to flee before they could be arrested; probably hoping that any Kingsglaives still loyal to the Crown would die at the hand of the daemons and leave no one the wiser of the defection.

The first convoy of Crownsguard arrived just as the sun started to rise above the horizon, the morning light sending the daemons scurrying back to where ever they disappeared to during the day, leaving the dead and injured alone on the bloody road. Cor didn’t wait, starting to give orders and arrange for the injured to be cared for first and then the dead’s bodies to be collected. He waved away any help from the accompanying doctors, settling for taking a single potion. He wasn’t much help in dealing with the wounded and found himself wandering the field, looking at all the faces from the surviving Glaives and matching them to those he had sent combing through over the last 3 weeks. His mid battle conclusion seemed to be true as he found not a single face that matched the traitors found within the Kingsglaive. From the thousands sent on the training exercises, only 1/3 survived to return to the Crown city; the others either dead or turned traitors including Drautos himself. The first thing he did after finally receiving the reports from the doctors and his own soldiers was to send it to Rhane for the King’s eyes with a written addition of his conclusion added to the very top of the documents. The second convoy, with more medical equipment and several cars specifically made to keep bodies intact arrived 2 hours after the end of the fight. By the time all the injuries had been dealt with and everyone was declared fit to be moved it was mid-afternoon and the large convoy of injured Glaives surrounded by Crownguards started on the path back to the Crown City.

Cor had talked with Regis and asked that the surviving Glaives be allowed in as soon as they arrived; Clarus had argued against it initially but when Ventus joined in and agreed with Cor the decision was made to open the gate for them. Regis had already striped the Glaives of their powers in order to prevent the traitors from misusing the Crystal’s power to help the Nifs in any way. A new ceremony would have to be arranged once the Glaives were completely cleared and allowed to return to duty if they so wished but that would have to wait until the current situation was better understood. By the time the convoy made its way through the city gates night had fallen and everyone was more than happy to enter the safety of the Wall. Leaving the Crownguards to bring the injured Kingsglaives to the prepared area for treatment and the non-injured one to be interrogated about the details of the last 24 hours, Cor headed straight for the Citadel to meet up with Regis and his council to report on what he had been able to get out of the Glaives during his time with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last one for this fist part of the series :) Which means that I'll be starting to write the second part which will cover the years until the events of the games. It also means that since these will be a series of interconnected drabbles that I invite all my readers to send me any prompts or ideas they would like to see me write.
> 
> There are only 2 rules for the prompts:  
> 1\. No smut or descriptive sexual content.  
> 2\. The end game relationship wise is for the Chocobros to be one happy polyamorous couple. This doesnt mean they wont be seeing people outside of the other three but it will not be permanent relations.
> 
> Other then that, feel free to send me ideas, prompts or requests. I will be posting the last chapter tomorow with maybe an epilogue friday. This weekend will see the 2-shot intitled 'Sylva's Revenge' be posted and next monday I will begin the new series!


	30. Final Decision

Cor found the council in full swing, arguing with one another about what to do with the surviving Glaives. Ventus was quietly taking notes at the right side of the King while Clarus sat at his left with an irritated look pasted on his face; Regis had his kingly face on where he revealed no emotions while listening to the arguments being made on both sides of the table. All three men noticed the Marshall arrival and gave him their full attention.

Cor straightened, put own his own soldiers mask he used when dealing with politics and gave the proper bow towards his King, ‘’ I have returned your Majesty.’’ The king nodded regally, ‘’Marshall, please give the council your report.’’ Cor straightened out of his bow, falling into a parade rest with hands clasped behind his back. ‘’ As you wish your Majesty.’’ He took a deep breath, keeping his gaze on the King as he started his report.

‘’Last night at 2:15 what appeared to be an collective group of high level daemons began to attack the encampment of the Kingsglaive on their way back to Insomnia. Around the same time, a division of the Kingsglaive who had been turned into traitors by Titus Drautos now known to us as the Niflheim General Glauca, also began an attack on their fellow Glaives. The initial attack from both the traitors and daemons lead to the loss of leadership and cohesion within the remaining Kingsglaive and they were forced to flee the encampment and try to request help from Insomnia. At 2:45, the staff monitoring communications received an SOS signal from surviving Kingsglaive who had found a place to make a stand by the road. Lieutenant Monica was alerted to the message and contacted me immediately. I gave the order to send a team immediately to rescue them.’’  
One of the council men glares at the Marshall, interrupting the report with an outraged cry, ‘’You ordered a rescue for a group you knew had traitors? Without consulting on….’’ Clarus slammed his hand down on the table, the sharp bang resounding loudly, ‘’Cor Leonis is not required to seek permission to send the Crownguards to help citizen's of Lucis. Now sit back down and allow the Marshall to finish his report!’’ The Shield glared at the old councilmen, waiting until the man sat back down before nodding to Cor to continue. Cor nodded back in gratitude.

‘’As I was saying, I sent a team to their rescue immediately after receiving the news. After contacting his Majesty, I followed the first team out to see for myself the situation. I found the surviving Glaives facing a large number of daemons who had them pined where they were. I was able to rally the surviving members capable to fight and helped them hold off the daemons until the rescue team could arrive to finish the job. The last of the daemons were banished by dawn and we were able to start treating survivors and learning of what had happened from them. Of the initial forces sent on the manoeuvre training, only 1/3 have returned to Insomnia. I have left a team to return to the encampment and search for survivors there as well as another team to try and track down the movements of the traitorous Glaives following General Glauca. The Kingsglaives are being treated for their injuries and those without need of medical care have been brought in to be questioned on the events. We should have a better understanding of what happened by tomorrow.’’ Cor finished his report and waited for the questions and arguments that would definitively ensue.

The council continued for another two hours until a maid walked in and reminded the King it was time for his evening snack. Ventus used that as an excuse to end the meeting until the next day and Regis dismisses everyone with a concealed sigh of relief. Once the four friends were left alone with the maid who had come in earlier, Cor relaxed since he left in the early hours of the morning. Regis smiled and offered, ‘’Care to join me Cor? Its been a long day for everyone.’’ Cor grinned tiredly, ‘’I’ll take you up on the offer, I haven’t had time to eat anything more then rations with everything happening.’’ Regis turned to the waiting maid, ‘’Could you ask the kitchen to send up something for Cor? We’ll be in my quarters. Some tea for Clarus and Ventus as well.’’ The maid bowed, ‘’As you wish your Majesty.’’ And left, leaving the four alone. Ventus finished the last of his notes, gathering the papers in hand before he joined the others by the end of the table.

The group made it way to the King’s quarter, Cor allowing the gentle chatter of his friends to wash over him and help him relax even more. Clarus dropped back to walk beside Cor, a worried look in his eyes, ‘’Everything ok Cor?’’ The question drew the attention of Ventus and Regis who fell quiet as they waited for the soldier’s reply. Cor groaned, shaking his head, ‘’This whole situation is strange and I cant help but feel like we’re missing something. Its just… ‘’ He stops talking, feeling a bit confused. Ventus prodded, ‘’ Its just?’’ Cor sighed and continued with his previous thought, ‘’ First it’s the attack on Galdin Quai, a group of daemon suddenly attacks a well light town when they previously had no problems? For there to be such a big group of daemon just nearby the city as a power outage occurs? And right as Intruders are found within the Citadel?’’

Regis stayed quiet, Cor continued, ‘’Alone it might be easily dismissed as coincidence but to have someone target Prompto the same night he arrives on top of it? Then there is the sudden gift from this mysterious ALC, who we still know nothing about! And now this attack on the Kingsglaives just as we were ready to arrest the traitors within their ranks. It all seems like this is all somehow connected but I cant figure out how or why.’’ Clarus laid a hand on the man’s shoulder, ‘’ I think we can agree that the fact that the traitors suddenly got an opportunity to escape from Lucis just as they were to be arrested is suspicious but I think you might be over thinking things about Prompto. He’s a child who left the city for the first time since his arrival as an infant when he went for vacations with his family.’’

The group entered the quiet living room of the Royal Quarters and headed straight for Regis’s office there, waiting until they were inside with the door close to continue the discussion. Regis sat down at his desk while the others took their seats around the room. Cor leaned back in his armchair, ‘’Maybe but I cant not consider the possibility either. So many things has happened since Prompto saved my life at Galdin Quai and it all feels connected somehow.’’ The Marshall groaned again. Regis offered his youngest friend a smile, ‘’ Worrying for someone in your family can be exhausting,’’ He ignored the startled look of shock that Cor gave him, ‘’But worrying about it wont solve anything. We need to concentrate on the current problem. What to do with the surviving glaives.’’

Ventus nodded from his spot on the opposite side of the desk from his King, laying down the notes he had taken of the pertinent information discussed during the day’s meeting, ‘’For the moment there seems to be 2 clear opinions among the counsel. The first is that the surviving glaives be exiled from the city as they are a security risk who could ‘easily turn against the rightful citizens of Insomnia’ and to disband the army return to only relying on the Crownsguard for protection.’’ Clarus huffed, ‘’Not an option, the Crownguards cant use magic the way the Glaives do and cant fight against daemons effectively. That’s why Regis created the Glaives in the first place, to fill in the gap that existed within the existing guards.’’ Cor nodded wordlessly, ‘’ That leave the second opinion, a thorough investigation of the surviving Glaives to ensure that none are at risk of turning against the Crown and increasing the background checks when recruiting for the unit from here on out.’’

Regis shook his head, ‘’While this is the preferred option, the security checks done on the volunteers are as thorough as I can allow while protecting their right to privacy. To increase the investigations could lead to calls to those new checks to civilian refugees and with a precedent it would be hard to deny those calls. Not to mention we need the Glaives to be operational as soon as possible. The armies of Niflheim are quiet for the moment but there is no guarantee how long this unsteady peace will last especially with the increase in spending for their military research.’’ Silence followed his words for several minutes before it was broken by a knock on the door, a maid and a butler entered, each bearing a tray with the requested items for the King and his retinue. The four continued their discussion for another hour before they decided to retire for the evening.

The next day, Lance found himself helping Ventus type up the last day’s notes as the adviser was called to listen to what the questioning of the Kingsglaives had given since the previous evening. Among the documents he had been given to type was a list of names of the current surviving members and the injuries sustained during the attack. As he passed over the list, Lance couldn’t help but to frown as he noticed the sign that mean the Glaive had been taken for questioning. Some of the names were listed beside as having some rather severe injuries such as third degree burns, broken bones and even the loss of an eye. Those soldiers shouldn’t have been allowed to leave the hospital and certainly not for questioning!

The man got up, taking with him the list and tried to locate the Crownguard commander responsible for overseeing the questioning procedures. Lance asked several guards for the commander’s location before being directed to the old dungeons. As he descended the steps, Lance could hear voices shouting from below, his instincts were telling him to hurry up and he didn’t hesitate to do so. Arriving at to the bottom of the stairs he was greeted by a sight that made him feel sick, an injured glaive was kneeling on the stone floor with four Crownguards shouting at him, repeatedly asking questions without allowing the poor man a chance to answer of defend himself. Standing not too far away was the man Lance had been searching for, looking down at the kneeling Glaive with obvious disgust, Lance didn’t hesitate as he meet the commander’s gaze and declared, ‘’ That’s enough. You will all stand down immediately.’’ Lance kept his voice calm and confident. He didn’t expect the soldiers to take his demand happily and their reactions just confirmed his beliefs. All four men jerked from where they had been looming over the injured man to glare at the lanky man who had dared to try ordering them around. The commander walked up to Lance, giving the Glaive a kick when he passed besides the kneeling man, and glared at the professional speaker, ‘’ Who the hell are you?’’ 

Lance meet the larger man’s glare with a calm one of his own but didn’t answer, instead he brushed past the commander and the bullies to kneel in front of the injured soldier. He offered the man a hand, ‘’Can you stand Sir?’’ The kingsglaive was obviously confused as he frowned at the hand and looked over Lance’s shoulder to his attackers. The bullies obviously disliked how easily Lance ignored them and without waiting for an order, the closest of the Guards suddenly turned around and swung at the back of Lance’s head. The kingsglaive noticed it, his reaction being to tug Lance towards him and put himself between the coming fist and the man who was trying to help him. Or at least he tried, Lance meet the tug by standing up, pulling the injured Glaive to his feet with surprising ease and the punch which had been aimed towards a kneeling man only served to make the attacker trip and fall on his face.

Lance didn’t react to the attack, his eyes roaming the injured man in front of him, cataloging the injured and which ones seems to be newer then the rest with practiced eyes. A growled threat had Lance shifting to stand protectively in front of his new charge. ‘’You bastard! What do you think you’re doing! Interrupting the King’S business like that!’’ Lance allowed disdain for the supposed protectors of the Crown to show in his eyes and voice as he replied, ‘’ The last time I checked, the King had ordered that all of his Kingsglaive be treated with respect until the council came to a decision concerning them. This is not what he had in mind. To take an injured man to be questioned and for the questioning to be conducted in such an appealing manner!’’ Lance took a step forward and his voice came out ice cold, ‘’ You will move out of my way.’’

Lance turned, ‘’ Can you walk?’’ he asked the Glaive staring at him in shock, the man nodded and Lance turned with a satisfied hum. The five men seemed just as shocked at the air of confidence he showed while surrounded by men larger and stronger then he was, at least until the commander pushed back through his men to go after Lance. His open hands hurled towards Lance’s neck, the commander figuring that he could easily kill the obnoxious bureaucrat and simply blame the death on those unworthy wretches who called themselves the King’s Glaives.

The hands never reached their targets as Gladio walked out from where he had been listening in on the situation at Lance’s request and moved, his hands grabbing unto the back of the commander’s uniform to yank him back and throw the man into the nearby wall. The effect of Gladiolus’ arrival in the room was instantaneous as all the Crownguards swallowed, their eyes fearful and each fell into a salute without Gladiolus having to say anything. Gladio kept his eyes on the soon to be ex Crownguards and asked, ‘’ You ok Mr. Argentum?’’ Lance smiled at the young man, ‘’ I am fine, now if you excuse me, I must bring this young man to the infirmary.’’ Gladio nodded and asked, ‘’ Ask Cor and Dad to meet me when they can.’’ Lance nodded, reaching out to gently guide the still stunned Glaive past the guards and up the stairs. As soon as he was at the top of them, he sent Cor, Clarus and Ventus a quick text explaning what he had just witnessed and Gladio’s request. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to reach the infirmary and Lance was quite happy to be greeted by his wife, ‘’Lance, what kind of trouble did you cause this time?’’ She teased as she approached the two men.

Lance chuckled and leaned to give his wife a quick kiss on the check before answering, ‘’ Trouble, me? I don’t know where you got that idea from. This young man is one of the Kingsglaive, some of the Crownguards took advantage of the current distrust towards them to satisfy their own ego and hatred.’’ Sylva frowned, ‘’ I see.’’ She offered the injured man a smile and took over his care, ‘’ I’m Sylva, a nurse and this loveable man’s wife. Why don’t we go and see to your injuries?’’ The Glaive hesitated before nodding, turning to try and give a bow to Lance who quickly stopped him from doing so. ‘’ No need for that, I’m not someone of importance.’’ The comment made the Glaive smirk and he finally talked to Lance, ‘’Thank you none the less. Come find me if you ever need help from one of us. We always pay our debts.’’ He then followed Sylva to one of the patient beds and allowed the nurse to start taking care of his injuries.

Now aware of the uneasy way that some within the Crownguards viewed the Kingsglaive, with hatred and a disdain for their lives, Lance found himself taking over the care of the surviving Glaives. He looked over the current accommodations, finding them to be lacking and set about making several changes to the way the magic wielding soldier were treated. As the days passed by and no decision was reached, Lance’s name became widely known among the Kingsglaive as a fair man who was open to suggestions. He found himself slowly taking over for Ventus on matters concerning the Kingsglaive and by extension the many refugees that lived within Insomnia. It kept him very busy but he always made time to eat with his family, though on a few occasion the supper was taken in the refugee section of the city as Lance talked with the families on what they needed urgently and what could wait for a bit longer.

By the time a decision was reached, Prompto was able to walk short distances with help and all the children had returned to school after the end of summer vacations. Sylva and her research team had made progress on the cure and were now testing 3 version of it to see if any would work. On a sunny day, Regis Lucis Caelum found himself walking down the hall towards the Kingsglaive open training halls followed closely by Clarus, Cor and Ventus. The king had sent a request for all of his Kingsglaive to meet here today as he wished to talk with them and give them the final decision of the council concerning their fate as Glaives.

At his arrival, all the Glaives stopped what they were doing and waited for what the King of Lucis would say. As Regis looked around the halls to see all the Glaives looking at him with various emotions in their eyes, he found himself wishing he had spent more time with them before all of this happened even knowing that it would have been impossible for him to do so. Clarus exchanged a guarded glance with Cor, both ready to react if the Glaives made any movements indicating a threat to their King while Ventus looked on impassively as always by the King’s side. Regis looked at the men and woman standing proudly in front of him, the volunteers who had lost home and family and offered to help the Kingdom of Lucis prevent further losses. He looked at them and did the last thing any of them expected. In front of all the surviving Kingsglaives, the 113th King of Lucis bowed deeply to the soldiers who had protected his city and country to the best of their abilities.

‘’As King of Lucis, I offer to all of you my deepest apologies for the time it took the council to reach a decision and I offer my thanks for your patience in this matter.’’ Regis held the bow, ignoring the shocked whispers flowing through the room, for a good minute before straightening back up. ‘’ The decision the council and I have reached is the following: the Kingsglaive are necessary to ensure the safety of the people of Lucis and as such a new version of it will be created. ‘’ A voice shouted a question, ‘’ New version?’’ The King nodded, casting a glance to Clarus who stepped up to stand beside his king, ‘’ Yes, this new Kingsglaive will not be under the command of a single person but rather under the joint supervision of several individuals, each one responsible for any part of the Kingsglaive. ‘’ 

A new wave of murmurs started only to stop when Regis started talking again, ‘’ You have all given much as part of my Glaives and I understand should you choose not to rejoin the Kingsglaive. You and your family may remain within Insomnia without fear and those who wish to leave will be compensated for the trouble they have suffered. I only ask that you consider this as a chance to create a new, better Kingsglaive with your experience and the dedication to each other you have shown. The first swearing ceremony will be done in a week’S time but that by no means is a limit for your decision. I wish each of you too take all the time you need to decide what you desire to do.’’ The king looked around, feeling oddly proud at the men and woman who had served under him through the use of his magic. He gave them another bow and finished, ‘’Thank you for everything.’’

He rose up, intending on leaving them to think without his presence when a single shout had him turning back to stare at the crowd, ‘’For the King!’’ for a moment, silence reign over the open training halls of the Kingsglaive building only to be broken by the rising chant ‘’ For the King!’’ taken up by the survivors as they shouted and banged on the walls or railings. The sound was almost overwhelming, Cor grinning as he relaxed at the open display of support for his dear friend. Who was at the moment staring open mouthed at the display, shocked beyond words by the loyalty the Glaives were showing him and they weren’t finished. The oldest member of the survivors walked out of the crowd and knelt in front of the King, ‘’I see no need to wait to give you my answer, Your Majesty. I renew my vows, taken when you first welcomed me with open arms into your home after we lost ours. My life is yours.’’ One by one, the other Glaives knelt down, repeating the vow each had taken when they had first joined the Kingsglaive with pride; leaving the King with teary eyes and a beaming smile. This time, it wasn’t the King who bowed before them but rather Regis, a father who wanted nothing more than to see his son safely grow within the city he called home. ‘’ Thank you, my friends.’’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the last chapter of Prompto is what?  
> The next part will be Sylva's Revenge. A short 2 chapter fic that will be posted over the weekend and next week will be the beginning of the pre-game series.  
> I'm still open to any prompt or ideas you'd like me to write.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented or left kudos on this story. It got so much bigger then expected! I hope to see you all in the next part :)  
> Edit: I will be adding a bonus chapter about Prompto's first steps after his arrival at the Citadel later on.


	31. Bonus chapter: Prompto's first step- take 2

Prompto gritted his teeth as he teetered at the very end of the parallel bars, behind him waiting patiently was his physiotherapist. It had been close to two months since Prompto had started living in the Citadel, two months of rehab sessions with the therapists that worked more often with soldiers then children, two months of hard work that slowly gave him back sensations then movement in his lower limbs. ‘’Come on Prompto, you can do it.’’ His uncle’s voice was soft and encouraging.

Prompto slowly lifted his head to look in front of him, Uncle Cor was standing a few steps away, precisely 4 steps, with his wheelchair ready to collapse on it but to do that Prompto had to let go of the bars and walk by himself! His legs were shaking from exhaustion, his muscles still weak and not always receptive to what Prompto told them to do but with Cor looking at him, waiting patiently with quiet encouragement, he knew he had to at least try. What was the worst that could happen? His legs collapsed and the therapist had to catch him, that’s what. Biting his lips, Prompto meet his Uncle’s gaze with determination and keeping his eyes on Cor; Prompto slowly ordered his legs to move.  
His right legs first, lift up, move forward, back down and shift his weight to it. He waited a bit to make sure it would suddenly give out under him before repeating the same thing with his other leg. Now to let go of the bars…. Prompto took a deep breath, glancing quickly behind him to see the reassuring smile of his therapist before facing forward again and slowly opening his hands. Arms extended to each side for balance, Prompto waited a few moments, expecting to feel pain and collapse. When it didn’t happen, Prompto sighed in relief and went back to slowly taking his first step without any support. It was hard! Lifting his right leg without the help of the bars to keep him balanced had him wheeling his arms to regain his balance, his foot slamming back down harder then he wanted and pain shot through his leg.

Cor and the therapist both started to move, ready to jump and help the boy if it became too much but Prompto shook his head, re-concentrating on his balance and moved. It took him several minutes to complete the four steps to get to his wheelchair, each one taking all his concentration and stubbornness to complete until he was able to collapse in his wheelchairs to the cheers of the other patients and therapist sharing the room with him. Cor knelt down, beaming and ruffled Prompto’s sweat soaked hair away from his face, ‘’You did an amazing job Prompto!’’

Prompto smiled, exhausted beyond belief yawning as he murmured, ‘’Lets not do that again soon.’’ The therapist laughed, ‘’Practice makes perfect Prompto but we’ll go slowly. We’re done for today so go and get some rest and take a bath tonight ok? It will help prevent your muscles from hurting too much tomorrow.’’ Prompto didn’t really heard what was said, head falling to rest on his chest as sleep took over. Cor smiled, taking out a small blanket and putting it on the sleeping child. ‘’ I’ll see that he does that when he wakes up.’’ Said Cor. The Marshall smiled, moving to thank an approaching man who had used his phone to take a video of Prompto’s efforts. 

He sent it to Sylva and Lance before leaving the room with his nephew. He wasn’t too surprised to see the Prince and his retinue waiting outside for them to leave, quickly waving away concerns about Prompto looking so exhausted by giving them his phone so they could see what Prompto had accomplished. ‘’Bring him over to my room, Cor.’’ Whispered Noctis, trying to keep his voice down. Cor looked at the boy questionably, ‘’He naps there often enough and the bed is more comfortable there anyways.’’ Gladio and Ignis smirked as they looked at their charge.

‘’You just want to be there when he wakes up.’’ Teased Gladio. Noctis blushed, giving his Shield a hard glare accompanied with the slightest of pouts. Cor couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him, ‘’Very well then, I’m sure Prompto would enjoy it too. Try not to exhaust him too much when he does wake up. He’s getting a party tonight to celebrate his first steps without help since the attack.’’ The boys showed a downcast expression at the reminder of the incident before Ignis sighed and bowed to Cor. ‘’ We’ll take it from here then, I believe you are still very busy with the meetings about the fate of the Kingsglaive.’’ Cor groaned, ‘’Don’t remind me Ignis, your Uncle is already riding my ass to give him everything we find the moment we do.’’

Noct giggled as Gladio grinned; Ignis looking faintly disapproving at the language the Marshall was using in front of the Crown Prince. Cor shook his head, ‘’ You’ve all heard worst before and I know it so don’t give me that look Ignis. Swearing is warranted in this situation.’’ With that the soldier handed control of the wheelchair to Gladio as he waved his goodbye to head back to his office and the endless amount of work he had waiting for him.

The boys didn’t wait to move Prompto to Noctis’ room, Gladio carefully taking the sleeping blond from the wheelchair and transferring him into the fluffy bed. They all made themselves comfortable in or around the bed, playing games and chatting in a low voice about what to do when Prompto woke up. ‘’Maybe Ignis could cook something for him? He always loves it when you do.’’ Proposed Noctis, brushing light fingers through the soft blond hair as he did.

Ignis thought about it, ‘’ I suppose it can be done without too much trouble. What would you suggest I make?’’ Gladio grinned, ‘’Cup noodles perhaps?’’ Ignis glared at the larger boy, hand reaching out to pick up a loose pillow and throwing it at Gladio. Gladio gave a laugh as the pillow hit him squarely, simply picking it back up and tossing it back. Noctis giggled at the display that was becoming increasingly common since their emotional talk a while ago. ‘’Not a chance. Its hardly nutritious nor wise considering Prompto ongoing fight to lose weight in a healthy and safe manner.’’

The talk continued, Noctis and Gladio quietly giving Ignis suggestions on what to cook for their friend until Prompto started waking up. ‘’Hey Prom, how are you feeling?’’ Asked Noctis, fingers still moving through Prompto’s hair gently when the bright blue eyes opened up. ‘’Hey Noct,’’ A yawn escaping Prompto as he slowly woke up, warm and comfortable surrounded by his friends, ‘’Tired.’’ Gladio chuckled, moving to help Prompto sit up while Ignis reached around to arrange the pillows comfortably behind Prompto’s back. Ignis gave the younger boy a soft smile, ‘’ That is no surprise considering what you accomplished today.’’ Prompto looked confused for a few seconds, mind addled by sleep before a wide beaming smile emerged and he grabbed Noctis in excitement. ‘’ I did it! I walked by myself!’’ He exclaimed, happiness pouring from Prompto. Gladio grinned, leaning back, ‘’So we saw, the Marshall filmed it and showed us. About time!’’ Noctis and Ignis both shot the Shield a glare, making Gladio hurridly add, ‘’ I mean it in a good way!’’ Prompto nodded and gave Gladio a reassuring smile, ‘’ I know!’’

Noct turned back to his excited friend, ‘’So we were thinking… Why not celebrate? Cor said your parents were planning something for you later but we can have our own celebration before you go right?’’ Prompto’s smile got even bigger, ‘’ That would be awesome Noct! Thank you!’’ He pulled the prince into a hug, offering the other two a smile in thanks. Ignis had to look away, a straight thought making him blush at Prompto’s adorable smile, Gladio looking similarly flustered by the smile as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

‘’ Noctis proposed that I cook something for you as celebration, is there anything in particular you’d like me to make?’’ Ignis finally asked. Prompto thought about it a bit before answering , ‘’ How about fruit parfait?’’ Ignis nodded, mentally going through what was in the royal kitchen and what he would have to go pick up from the Citadel’s kitchen. ‘’That is doable. It will take me about half an hour to gather everything I need to make them. So why don’t you take the time to go wash up?’’ Gladio nodded and offered, ‘’ I’ll help you clean your hair if you want. Consider it my congratulations.’’ Noctis looked between the two, not sure if he should also offer his friend something.

Prompto picked up on Noct’s hesitation as he always did and squeezed his hand, ‘’ Id appreciate the help Gladio. Noct do you mind keeping me company?’’ Noctis nodded, ‘’If that what you want…’’ Agreed Noctis. With the plans finalised, Ignis got up and started heading out to find the few ingredients he would need to make the best fruit parfaits that Promto had ever eaten before while Gladio and Noctis helped Prompto to slip into the royal and rather huge bath tub. After moment of hesitation, Noctis slipped in as well. The bath was large enough that both boys had plenty of space and with the added bubbles Gladio insisted in adding to the water, Noctis felt comfortable taking advantage of the warm waters and relaxing atmosphere. Gladio used the detachable shower head to rinse and carefully wash Prompto’s hair, keeping his amazement at how soft the hair was to himself while he carefully massaged Prompto’s scalp. Prompto groaned in pleasure at the sensation, letting the teasing between Gladio and Noctis help him relax into the warm water, trusting both of them to keep him safe no matter what.

Ignis returned exactly half an hour later, bearing a tray with four crystal cups, each of them filled with their own version of a fruit parfait, waiting to be eaten. While Gladio helped Prompto get out of the bath and get dry, Ignis prepared several fruity drinks that would complement the parfaits without clashing with the taste. Prompto was given the first choice of any of the four parfaits, causing the blond to debate with Noctis which one of them he should pick before settling on a strawberry, banana and orange mix with light vanilla yogurt with a drizzle of caramel sauce. Prompto moaned as he took the first bite, the savors exploding in his mouth. ‘’ Ignis! This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten before! You should just quit as Noct’s adviser and become a chef!’’ Prompto complimented as he practically devoured the celebratory snack. Noctis chuckled at his enthusiasm as he picked his own parfaits and took his bite soon followed by Gladio with Ignis taking the last one for himself. ‘’Impossible Prompto, while I appreciate the compliment it would be impossible for me to leave his highness alone. Someone has to keep him from getting into too much trouble.’’ Noctis gave a half moan of annoyance while Gladio laughed, ‘’ I don’t think the Prince could survive a week without Ignis by his side.’’ Prompto joined the laughter as he looked around to his friends. This felt amazing, he felt at home here surrounded by Noctis, Ignis and Gladio joking around and teasing each other. A quiet determination filled him, no matter what he wouldn’t allow anyone to come between them. They were friends for life, his friends!


End file.
